Filtering blood with apheresis lowered levels of five "forever chemicals" by up to 76%. Digest
A medical procedure used to remove harmful antibodies and lipids from the blood may have an unexpected additional target: persistent environmental pollutants. A new study asked whether apheresis could lower circulating microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals."
Adults already scheduled for medically indicated apheresis provided blood samples immediately before and after treatment. In 14 people, researchers measured four PFAS. A second laboratory measured a wider PFAS panel in four people. Micro- and nanoplastic-associated signals were assessed in similarly small samples.
- Apheresis lowered the four measured PFAS by up to 25% in 14 patients. However, these immediate blood changes do not establish an equivalent or lasting reduction in total-body burden.
- The second four-person analysis found average reductions of about 44% to 76% across five PFAS.
- The micro- and nanoplastic findings did not show the same consistency, although there was a general trend toward reduction. Changes varied considerably by measurement method, polymer type, and patient.
- Apheresis also produced reductions in several lipid and inflammatory markers.
PFAS and small plastic particles may circulate in the blood while attached to lipoproteins, plasma proteins, or larger molecular complexes. Apheresis removes some of these carriers by passing blood through specialized filters and materials that trap them, potentially removing contaminants attached to them at the same time. But blood and tissue continually exchange material. A rapid drop in environmental pollutants can show that the circulating fraction is removable without revealing its long-term effect on the whole body.
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Collectively, the study suggests that apheresis may acutely lower several pollutant-related signals in blood alongside its established lipid and inflammatory targets, without directly testing whether total-body burden falls meaningfully. This highlights how both the carrier of a contaminant in circulation and the contaminant's movement between blood and tissue may determine whether it is physically accessible for removal.