Microplastics Health Risks

How Trees Help Protect Us from Microplastics and Related Health Risks

Microplastics—tiny plastic particles smaller than 5 mm—are now found in the air we breathe, our drinking water, our food, and even inside the human body. Recent studies show microplastics in human lungs, blood, placentas, and arterial plaque, raising serious concerns about long-term health effects. While this issue can feel overwhelming, nature provides a powerful defense: trees. These living air filters can help reduce the amount of microplastics and other harmful particles we are exposed to every day.

🌿 Trees Naturally Capture Airborne Microplastics

Trees act like natural air purifiers. Their leaves, needles, bark, and branches trap airborne particles—including microplastic fibers from clothing, artificial turf, tires, packaging, and household materials. Once caught, these particles settle into the soil instead of entering human lungs.

Research shows that areas with more trees have lower levels of airborne particulate pollution (Nowak & Greenfield, 2018). Because microplastics often attach to dust and fine particles, tree canopies help reduce how much of this pollution stays in the air.

🧠 Why Microplastics Are a Health Concern

Scientists once believed microplastics simply passed through the body—but new research shows they can travel into organs and cause harm.

Recent studies have linked microplastic exposure to:

• Inflammation in the lungs and airways

• Increased respiratory symptoms and reduced lung function

• Heart disease risk due to microplastics found in arterial plaque

• Immune system disruption and cell damage

A 2024 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine detected microplastics in the arterial plaque of 58% of participants, and those with microplastics in their arteries had a 4.5-times higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death (Abbasi et al., 2024). Other research has found microplastics embedded deep within human lung tissue (Jenner et al., 2022), and lab studies show that inhaled microplastics can cause cellular inflammation and oxidative stress (Prata, 2018).

Children, seniors, and people with asthma or heart disease are especially vulnerable to the health impacts of polluted air and microplastic exposure.

🍃 Trees Reduce Microplastic Exposure in the Air

Tree canopies help reduce airborne microplastic pollution by:

• Filtering particles before we breathe them

• Reducing wind speeds, lowering the amount of microplastics carried through neighborhoods

• Cooling temperatures, slowing the breakdown of plastic into smaller, more dangerous particles

This makes parks, greenbelts, and tree-lined neighborhoods safer for outdoor activity.

💧 Trees Help Protect Water from Microplastics

Microplastics also enter lakes, rivers, and drinking-water sources through stormwater. Trees and soil work together to reduce this pollution.

Trees help:

• Slow stormwater runoff, preventing plastics from washing into waterways

• Improve soil filtration, trapping fibers before they reach groundwater

• Protect fish and wildlife, which also protects human health

By keeping microplastics out of the environment, trees help protect both people and ecosystems.

🧓 A Simple Way to Protect Community Health

Planting trees in neighborhoods—especially near schools, parks, busy roads, and senior-living areas—reduces exposure to microplastics and improves air quality for everyone. Protecting mature trees is equally important because older trees filter far more air than young saplings.

Community actions that help:

• Support tree-planting and urban-forest programs

• Protect large, established trees in neighborhoods

• Increase green spaces where people live, learn, and gather

🌱 Nature Is Part of the Solution

Reducing plastic use is important, but so is protecting the natural systems that help keep us healthy. Trees provide a simple, proven, and cost-effective way to lower microplastic exposure and support cleaner air and water.

Planting and protecting trees means planting health, safety, and a cleaner future for everyone—especially the most vulnerable.

References (APA 7th Edition)

Abbasi, G., Khalid, N., Arshad, M., et al. (2024). Microplastics and nanoplastics in atherosclerotic plaques and cardiovascular risk. The New England Journal of Medicine, 390(9), 813–825. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2309822

Jenner, L. C., Rotchell, J. M., Bennett, R. T., Cowen, M., Tentzeris, V., & Sadofsky, L. R. (2022). Detection of microplastics in human lung tissue. Science of the Total Environment, 831, 154907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154907

Nowak, D. J., & Greenfield, E. J. (2018). U.S. urban forest statistics, values, and projections. Journal of Forestry, 116(2), 164–177. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvx004

Prata, J. C. (2018). Airborne microplastics: Consequences to human health? Environmental Pollution, 234, 115–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.11.043