Blood bags leach plastic

Common blood storage bags may leach microplastics into stored blood

August 6, 2026
12:31 am

In the 1970s, PVC bags revolutionized the storage of blood and blood products for transfusion. Disposable plastic (PVC) bags replaced reusable glass bottles, making the process more convenient and safer from contamination. Over half a century later, the same disposable plastic bags are creating a new kind of problem because of microplastics (MPs). These tiny particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, are formed by the polymer degradation of plastic materials as they break down and age.

In a recent study published in Environment & Health, researchers from China investigated how microplastics are released from medical storage bags into the blood and preservation fluids used for transfusions.

They found PVC microplastics not only in blood-preservation fluids but also in stored blood samples, with microscopy showing that some particles attached to red blood cells. Their levels rose substantially during storage, increasing by roughly seven- to 20-fold over 30 days compared with freshly opened blood bags in the tested systems.

Common blood storage bags may leach microplastics into stored blood

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