Circulate Health announced that a study published 22 May 2026 in the Journal of Clinical Apheresis found that therapeutic plasma exchange reduced microplastic particles in patient blood, according to the company.
More than 100 patients undergoing plasma exchange at Circulate Health clinics consented to pre- and post-treatment blood sampling. Researchers used the PlasticTox assay to quantify microplastic particles in 100 microliter blood samples. Among patients with at least 30 microplastic particles per 100 microliter, mean levels decreased from 52.2 to 21.1 MP/100 µL after plasma exchange, with a reported p value below 0.001.
The procedure used the Spectra Optia Apheresis System from Terumo BCT and replaced plasma with a sterile 5 percent albumin solution to clear particles from circulation.
The release notes microplastics sized 1 to 5 micrometers are pervasive and may reach organs, and it cites a 2019 analysis estimating 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles ingested per person annually in the United States.
The company claims this work is the first clinical evidence that a medical intervention can remove microplastics, and the release identifies the technology as patent pending.
