Microplastics in Water Generate Harmful Reactive Oxygen Species, New Study Finds

A recent study published in Nature by chemists at Columbia University shows that microplastics, which are widely present in drinking water and even in human blood, arteries, and brains, are not chemically inert as previously thought. Using microdroplet chemistry, the team demonstrated that water droplets containing microplastics produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS can attack proteins, lipids, and DNA, causing strand breaks, mutations, and protein misfolding. While the long‑term health effects remain under investigation, the findings suggest that microplastics may directly contribute to cellular damage in humans.