Researchers have discovered that a filter used in heart treatment to purify the blood of excess fat may also capture environmental pollutants such as "perpetual chemicals" (PFAS) and microplastic particles.
This procedure is known as "therapeutic apheresis," in which the patient's blood is passed through a device that removes the targeted substances and then the purified blood is returned to the body. Although it was originally designed to lower cholesterol in severe cases, a team from the Dresden University of Technology observed a decrease in the levels of "perennial chemicals" after the treatment, with the filters also retaining microplastic particles.
"Perennial chemicals" are used in everyday products such as non-stick surfaces and waterproof textiles. They are known as "perennial materials" because they remain in the environment and the body for years. Long-term exposure to them has been linked to high levels of bad cholesterol, immune and hormonal disorders, and some cancers.
The study included 14 patients who underwent bilateral apheresis, in which plasma is separated from blood cells and then passed through a filter that retains lipoproteins. After measurement, the concentrations of “perennial chemicals” decreased by up to 25% after a single session. In another analysis using a different method, the decrease ranged between 43.5% and 75.8%. However, the small sample size and the different methods prevent direct comparison, and the high percentages do not mean that more than half of the molecules were removed from each patient.
As for microplastics, the results were less consistent, with some types decreasing in some patients while others increased. This could reflect differences in measurement methods, environmental contamination, or even plastic components within the apheresis system. Although the team detected plastic particles in the filters used, giving them confidence that apheresis does indeed remove them from the bloodstream, the filter's ability to capture particles does not necessarily translate to a reduction in the overall plastic burden in the body. This is because particles stored in tissues can later re-enter the bloodstream, especially since microplastics have been found in brain, liver, and kidney tissues. However, their long-term health effects remain unclear.
The study acknowledges that it was exploratory and involved small groups, and did not specify how long the reductions or the improvement in patient health would last, which calls for larger trials, standardized measurements and longer follow-up before apheresis can be considered a treatment for environmental pollutants.
Another study published this year indicates that microplastic levels decreased in patients with high levels, but increased in those with low levels, possibly as a result of the plastic tubes and bags releasing particles during the procedure.
While there is insufficient evidence to support apheresis as a treatment for microplastic removal, the findings published in Brain Health raise an interesting possibility: the potential use of a lipid filter to remove some of the accompanying environmental pollutants in the blood.
