The global reliance on plastic has reached staggering proportions, with more than 400 million tonnes produced annually. This immense volume has left an indelible mark on the planet’s ecosystems, contaminating not only beaches and rivers but also the remotest regions of the ocean, where traces of plastic have been detected as deep as 11,000 metres. Beyond the visible scars on landscapes and waterways, plastic production is also a significant contributor to climate change. Current estimates suggest that the manufacturing of plastic alone releases around 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year, compounding environmental crises. At the same time, a growing body of scientific evidence indicates the pervasive impact of plastics on human health, suggesting that exposure is far more intimate and insidious than previously imagined.
Every day life exposes people to countless invisible particles that detach from common household items, such as curtains, furniture, textiles, and packaging. These microplastic fragments do not simply vanish; instead, they circulate in the air, dissolve into drinking water, adhere to food surfaces, and settle into dust, making them easily inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. Researchers have detected microplastics in some of the most sensitive areas of the human body, including blood, the brain, the placenta, breast milk, and, more recently, within bone tissue. These discoveries underscore the fact that plastic is not only an environmental pollutant but also a potential internal contaminant, capable of infiltrating human physiology in ways that are still being uncovered.
A recent review published in Osteoporosis International, linked to a project funded by FAPESP, examined 62 scientific studies to assess the relationship between microplastics and bone health. The review highlighted mounting evidence that plastic particles compromise skeletal integrity through multiple mechanisms. One of the most striking findings concerns their effect on bone marrow stem cells. Microplastics appear to stimulate the overproduction of osteoclasts—large, multinucleated cells that degrade bone tissue in a process called resorption. This disruption in cellular balance has significant implications for maintaining healthy bone density and strength.
Rodrigo Bueno de Oliveira, coordinator of the Laboratory for Mineral and Bone Studies in Nephrology (LEMON) at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the State University of Campinas (FCM-UNICAMP), explains that the risks cannot be dismissed. “In vitro studies with bone tissue cells have shown that microplastics impair cell viability, accelerate ageing, and interfere with differentiation, in addition to triggering inflammatory responses,” he notes. These findings underscore the notion that microplastics, although tiny, have the capacity to disrupt essential cellular processes and promote tissue decline prematurely.
Animal research adds another dimension to this concern. Oliveira points to studies in which accelerated osteoclast senescence—driven by the presence of microplastics—has undermined bone microarchitecture, leading to dysplasia. Such changes are not merely structural curiosities; they manifest in weaker bones, greater susceptibility to deformities, and in severe cases, pathological fractures. In one particularly troubling outcome, exposure to microplastics appeared to halt skeletal growth altogether in laboratory animals. Although the exact ways in which these particles compromise bone mechanics remain under investigation, there is an increasing consensus that their presence in the bloodstream and marrow can profoundly disturb bone metabolism.
These findings have spurred Oliveira’s team to embark on a new research project designed to test in practice what current theory strongly suggests: a link between microplastic exposure and the exacerbation of metabolic bone diseases. Using animal models, the group aims to investigate the impact of microplastics on the strength of femurs in rodents, to establish a clear relationship between exposure and compromised skeletal integrity. Such investigations take on particular urgency given the rising global burden of osteoporosis. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, fractures related to the disease are projected to increase by 32% by 2050, mainly driven by the world’s ageing population.
As Oliveira stresses, improving bone health is a fundamental priority in healthcare. Strategies such as exercise, balanced nutrition, and pharmacological treatments already play a well-documented role in preventing fractures and maintaining mobility. Yet, while osteometabolic diseases have long been the focus of medical research, the environmental dimension—specifically the influence of microplastics—remains a glaring gap in scientific understanding. “Our goal,” Oliveira explains, “is to generate evidence that highlights microplastics as a potentially controllable environmental factor in the growing burden of bone fractures. If we can demonstrate a direct link, it could transform how we think about prevention and public health policy.”
More information: Rodrigo Bueno de Oliveira et al, Effects of microplastics on the bones: a comprehensive review, Osteoporosis International. DOI: 10.1007/s00198-025-07580-4
Journal information: Osteoporosis International Provided by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
