The U.S. is spending $144M on microplastics research. Is your silicone swap helping?
Recent research has found microplastics in humans, including in the lungs, arterial plaques and brains. Yet, no one can say with confidence which kinds are doing the most damage.
That gap between what scientists know and what they can measure is now the focus of a $144 million federal program. It is also why your silicone water bottle, baby bottle or storage bag may not be the clean swap you think it is.
The question of microplastics in humans has moved from environmental concern to active medical research, and the answers will shape how millions of people shop, eat and drink in the years ahead.
How microplastics get into the body
Microplastics are “plastic particles ranging in size from 5 millimeters (mm), which is about the size of a pencil eraser, to 1 nanometer (nm),” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). At the small end, they are invisible — and unavoidable.
Between 10 million and 40 million metric tons of microplastics are released into the environment every year, according to Stanford Medicine. That figure could double by 2040.
Major contributors include synthetic clothing, car tires, city dust, road markings and marine coatings, per Penn State’s Institute of Energy and the Environment.
Animal studies have linked microplastic exposure to cancer, heart attacks and reproductive problems, and human studies show high correlation. But scientists still cannot precisely measure how much plastic is in a given person’s organs, and current lab techniques produce inconsistent results.
What the $144M STOMP program will do
On April 2, 2026, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched Systematic Targeting Of MicroPlastics, or STOMP.
The $144 million effort is designed to “create the definitive toolbox for measuring, researching and affordably removing” microplastics from the human body.
Phase one is measurement. Researchers will build a clinical test, validated by the CDC, that can tell a patient how much plastic is in their body. They will also rank plastic types by danger, creating a priority list.
Phase two is removal. Different plastics settle in different organs and cause different damage, so the measurement work has to come first. The program prioritizes pregnant women, children, people with chronic illness and workers with high exposure, and the tools are being designed to be affordable.
“Microplastics are in every organ we look at—in ourselves and in our children. But we don’t know which ones are harmful or how to remove them,” said Alicia Jackson, Ph.D., ARPA-H director. “Nobody wants unknown particles accumulating in their body. The field is working in the dark. STOMP is turning on the lights.”
ARPA-H Program Manager Shannon Greene, Ph.D., added: “It’s physically impossible for us to completely divorce our lives from plastics. They are in everything we touch—our clothes, the materials from which we get our food and water.”
Does silicone have microplastics?
Silicone straws, baby bottles, storage bags and baking mats have surged in popularity as lower-toxicity swaps for plastic. Food-grade silicone is BPA-free, heat-resistant and doesn’t break down into microplastics the way traditional plastic does.
So does silicone have microplastics? Technically no — but the picture on silicone and microplastics is more complicated than the marketing suggests.
Silicone is itself a polymer, a type of plastic, and it carries environmental and health tradeoffs. Lower-quality silicone can degrade under high heat or contact with certain substances, breaking into smaller fragments over time. It is also not biodegradable.
For a more durable long-term swap, glass and stainless steel remain the gold standard. Neither leaches chemicals, and both are endlessly recyclable. The tradeoff is practicality — they are heavier, pricier and, in the case of glass, easier to break.
How to avoid microplastics until the data catches up
The harder truth about how to avoid microplastics is that even the most intentional swaps are being made without real data on which plastics pose the greatest risk. Consumers choosing silicone over plastic, or glass over silicone, are making educated guesses — not evidence-based decisions.
That ranking is exactly what STOMP is designed to produce. Until the priority list exists and a clinical test can show what’s accumulating in a given person’s body, shoppers are doing their best in the dark.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
