Microplastics are a huge problem that is getting a lot of attention and it is only getting worse. As the world continues to create and destroy (usually after just one use) billions of pieces of plastic each year, it is no surprise that a lot of that plastic ends up breaking down into microscopic pieces and spreading all over the place.

It has been found deep in the oceans as well as at the top of Mount Everest, and everywhere in between. Including inside our bodies.

While additional research is needed to determine exactly how harmful these microplastics in our bodies really are, it is safe to assume that we would all be better off if they weren’t there.

With that goal in mind, a company called Clarify Clinics set out to find a way to remove microplastics from the body, and that is just what they claim to be able to do.

The process is actually fairly simple and uses something called apheresis to clear the bloodstream of the microplastics. You may have heard of apheresis, or even had it done to you, from donating plasma. Simply put, it is when blood is removed from the body, centrifuged to separate the plasma from the other cells, and returned to the body.

Clarify Clinics adds in a step where the microplastics are removed, but that is basically it.

In addition to being a proven safe treatment option, it is also pretty uninvasive and easy. The CEO of the company, Yael Cohen talked with Wired about the services, saying:

“Once it’s running, you feel nothing. It’s very comfortable. Patients take calls, do Zooms, watch movies, sleep. The ones who sleep are my favorite.”

The downside is that each treatment costs more than $12,000, so it really isn’t something that most people are going to be able to do. In addition, there haven’t been any clinical tests to show what, if any, benefit this type of treatment provides. If they are able to remove the microplastics from the bloodstream, however, most people will agree that this is a good thing.

The author of the Wired post did not get the service himself, but he did get his blood tested for microplastics. They found that he had about 190 microplastic particles per millimeter, which the company told him is actually fairly low. Even with this relatively low number, that means he still has about a million total particles in his circulatory system, though, which is a disturbing thought.

Additional study is needed on this treatment, and hopefully, the price can come down dramatically. If it is proven to work, though, this type of service could quickly spread around the world to help combat whatever effects microplastics may be having on our bodies.

Who knows, this type of service may become so common that you’ll see booths popping up at malls offering it to customers who want a moment to relax while purging their body of microplastics.

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