Startup offers pricey procedure it says removes microplastics from blood: 'I don't want these things in my body'

A biotech startup has generated buzz around a controversial procedure that the company claims removes microplastics from users' blood, but at a significant price, The Cut recently reported. 

For around $13,000, customers of the Britain-based Clarify Clinics can access the Clari procedure, which is said to remove blood from a person's body in order to run it through a proprietary filtration system before pumping it back in.

According to the company, users of the service are administered a third-party test that measures microplastic levels in the bloodstream before and after the procedure. Most see a reduction, Clarify Clinics claims. 

As of July 30, the company had yet to apply for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Meanwhile, some experts have expressed skepticism that, even if the procedure does what the company claims, it will have significant health benefits. 

Zbigniew M. Szczepiorkowski, a professor at Dartmouth Health, told The Cut that "plasma is a relatively small volume in your body," so the overall effects of the procedure may be limited, given that microplastics have been detected elsewhere in the human body, including in vital organs and systems. 

Despite the high cost and skepticism from medical experts, Clarify Clinics claims that customers have been lining up to have the procedure. 

"I firmly believe I don't want these things in my body," Yael Cohen, the company's chief executive officer, told The Cut. "Instead of their midlife-crisis cars, people are buying whatever procedure helps them to age well." 

One Clari customer brushed off the high cost of the procedure, telling the publication it compared to "a long weekend in an expensive hotel" or "a starter-price Rolex." Actor Orlando Bloom of Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean fame also recently drew headlines for having the procedure done in London.  

Clarify Clinics seems likely to be capitalizing on public concerns about the presence of microplastics in the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe.

A 2024 analysis published in the journal Environmental Research found that the presence of nanoplastics and microplastics in the human body could be associated with a number of serious health conditions, "including various cancers, respiratory disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease." 

Do you worry about having toxic forever chemicals in your home? Majorly 😥 Sometimes 😟 Not really 😐 I don't know enough about them 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Research has shown that the tiny plastic particles can interfere with biological functions on the cellular level, potentially disrupting the gut biome and reproduction.

Global plastic production has surged over the past several decades, leading to massive amounts of plastic waste in the environment. In 2000, global plastics production and use totaled 257 million tons. By 2020, that figure had nearly doubled to 479 million tons, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 

If trends continue, that 2020 figure could grow by another 70% by 2040, the OECD previously forecast. 

Questions of efficacy aside, the procedure's high price tag currently limits access — though there is a case to be made that high-cost care can sometimes become more affordable over time. For now, at least, the most effective method of keeping plastic out of human bodies is likely to involve preventing plastic from entering our environment and food systems in the first place. While governments and coalitions work to regulate production, you can take steps to use less plastic at home, and you can recycle the plastic that you do use.  

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.