Swallowing a small, smooth piece of plastic is usually okay and will pass through your system in a few days, but if the plastic is large, sharp, or you feel pain, vomiting, or see blood, you should see a doctor immediately as it could cause internal damage or blockage, and you should not try to induce vomiting. Monitor for symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, or bloody stool and get medical help if they appear, especially for sharp objects or large pieces.
The Bottom Line. Ingested plastic is not toxic. If you swallow a small piece, it should pass through your digestive system without causing harm. If you choke on the piece of plastic or it gets stuck in your throat or esophagus, you may experience difficulty breathing or chest pain.
Our study also suggests that the breakdown or transformation of microplastics cannot be ruled out during their passage through the digestive tract.
Plastics and microplastics passing through an organism's gastrointestinal tract require a long digestion time, which decelerates their degradation rate; hence, these are retained in the organism's body.
Scientists don't yet know how long microplastics stay in the body or how effects are tempered by genetics, the environment or other factors. They haven't determined whether some plastics or forms of exposure are worse than others.
Filtered water helps your body flush out microplastics. High-fiber diets help your body get rid of plastic in your waste by promoting bowel movements.
Chemicals found in plastic “include carcinogens, neurotoxic chemicals, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals,” says Philip Landrigan, MD, a pediatrician and epidemiologist and director of the Boston College Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good.
Microplastics in the bloodstream can induce cerebral thrombosis by causing cell obstruction and lead to neurobehavioral abnormalities - PMC.
Ingested or inhaled microplastics may accumulate in the body and trigger an immune response or cause local particle toxicity. In addition, chronic exposure may cause more problems through accumulation in the body.
And our bodies can't fully break plastics down. This is especially alarming as research has found plastic in nearly every bodily organ.
Microplastics were detected in 8/12 human organ systems including cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, integumentary, lymphatic, respiratory, reproductive and urinary. Microplastics were also observed in other human biological samples such as breastmilk, meconium, semen, stool, sputum and urine.
The stomach's acid doesn't break down wooden or plastic objects like it breaks down food. The toothpick can end up in the intestines, and poke a hole through the bowels or an artery, causing infection, bleeding, sepsis, and even death.
And our bodies can't fully break plastics down. This is especially alarming as research has found plastic in nearly every bodily organ.
Microplastic fibers remain in the stomach and are regurgitated. Regurgitation is an efficient mechanism to void the stomach of indigestible items.
Eating plastic may lead to loss of nutrition, internal injury, intestinal blockage, starvation, and even death. We know that ingested plastic is harmful to animals, and research is still being conducted to figure out all the effects, especially to communities and wild populations.
Signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction include:
If it is a small piece, it will probably pass without causing symptoms. Chewing glass can cut the mouth. If a big piece of glass or one with sharp edges is swallowed, it can cause injury to the throat and gut. Symptoms may include chest or abdominal pain, blood in stool, bloated abdomen, and fever.
While the body naturally excretes some microplastics (MPs) through feces, sweat, and urine, many particles, especially smaller ones, can accumulate in organs, and there's no proven, easy way to fully remove them; current strategies focus on reducing intake (avoiding plastic, using filters, high-fiber/probiotic diets) and supporting natural elimination with exercise, while some specialized blood filtration techniques (apheresis) show promise for removing blood-borne MPs, but widespread solutions are still developing.
Fiber-rich foods (like berries, lentils, apples, sweet potatoes, chia seeds, and walnuts) and cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale) bind to the digestive tract and boost liver detoxification to reduce microplastic toxicity.
Yes, you read that right, tiny plastic particles are sneaking into our bodies, and the latest research shows they're even showing up in our blood. Microplastics, those minute particles of plastic debris, have infiltrated our environment so deeply that they are now circulating in our bloodstream.
Microplastics may cause changes in the intestinal microbiome, resulting in an imbalance between beneficial and harmful bacteria, which can lead to various gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits.
It can take from four to six days for an object that was swallowed to pass through the gastrointestinal system. However, your healthcare provider might wait 3-4 weeks to see if an object will pass from the stomach before removing it.
A study released in 2024 found the rate of heart attacks, stroke and death was 4.5 times higher in people who had microplastics in the plaque clogging their neck arteries, compared to those who didn't.
Microplastics Can Alter the Gut Microbiome
Known as gut dysbiosis, this phenomenon is associated with upset stomach, anxiety, depression, and digestive illnesses such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), among other issues.
Generally, food stays in the stomach between 40 minutes to two hours. It then spends around 2-6 hours in the small intestine, before passing through the colon, which can take anywhere between 10 to 59 hours.