Public awareness, knowledge gaps, and health anxiety concerning microplastics in human blood: a cross-sectional survey of Indian adults

Background The detection of microplastics (MPs) in human blood has sparked global concern, yet public understanding and associated anxiety in high-exposure regions like India remain underexplored. Methods This cross-sectional survey (September 2023–March 2025) involved 1,200 Indian adults using stratified sampling across age, gender, education, income, and urban/rural residence. A validated 30-item questionnaire assessed awareness sources, knowledge accuracy, and MP-specific anxiety (adapted GAD-7). Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression in R (v4.3.1). Results 75% of participants were aware of MPs in blood (primarily via social media, 58%), but only 28% correctly identified ingestion as the main pathway and 25% understood realistic health implications (e.g., inflammation, potential coagulation effects). Mean anxiety score was 7.8 ± 3.2 (mild–moderate), with higher levels among social media users (OR = 1.7, p < 0.001) and those with low health literacy (OR = 2.3, p < 0.001). Younger adults (18–35 years) showed highest awareness (82%) but also misinformation (e.g., 45% linking MPs directly to cancer). Conclusion Significant gaps persist between awareness and evidence-based knowledge, fueling unnecessary anxiety. Targeted media literacy and public health campaigns are essential in India and similar settings.