Netflix viewers left ‘crashing out and enraged’ by ‘disgusting’ documentary exposing the dangers of microplastics hidden in EVERYTHING – fuming ‘I’ve made a grave mistake watching this!’

Netflix viewers have been left ‘crashing out’ and totally ‘enraged’ after tuning in to the streaming site’s latest documentary, which exposes the dangers of microplastics.

The Plastic Detox launched on the streaming site on Monday (March 16), and follows six couples trying to cut plastic from their lives to improve health and fertility.

The documentary sees expert, environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Shanna Swan, reveal horrifying details about the effects of plastic on the reproductive system and fertility while working alongside the couples. 

Despite the affects of plastic on fertility being the main focus of the documentary, it also features chemists specialising in the formation of non-harmful alternatives as discussions turn to the dangers of how plastic is made in factories.

It also features interviews with doctors investigating the presence of microplastics in newborn babies and mothers’ wombs, as well as those investigating the links between microplastics and the rise in cancers across the globe. 

One horrifying scene see a doctor speak openly about finding microplastics inside the placenta of mothers who had recently given birth while working in a delivery room in Italy. 

Netflix viewers have been left ‘crashing out’ and totally ‘enraged’ after tuning in to the streaming site’s latest documentary, which exposes the dangers of microplastics (pictured: Dr Shanna Swan)

The Plastic Detox launched on the streaming site on Monday (March 16), and follows six couples trying to cut plastic from their lives to improve health and fertility 

While in another shock moment, Dr Swan revealed how she discovered newborn babies’ genitals were being affected by plastics in the womb – and revealed that even mothers’ breast milk was being contaminated with plastic.

Dr Swan also detailed how microplastics can affect ‘three generations’ at once, if mothers expecting daughters had high levels of the dangerous chemicals in plastic in their body while pregnant.

She warned against the use of a number of widely-accepted household products that are made from or have plastic inside them, including cutting boards, tupperware, hair care, cosmetics, perfumes and clothing.

Viewers have been quick to take to social media to share their shock after watching the documentary, revealing they were left ‘crashing out’ over the information.

One penned on TikTok: ‘I’m crashing OUT,’ to which another fan agreed: ‘Watching Plastic Detox on Netflix has me FUMING. There’s plastic in utero.’

Someone else added: ‘I’m pissed. Everyone needs to watch this, it’s a wake up call,’ as a fourth agreed: ‘

Another user said: ‘I just made the grave mistake of watching The Plastic Detox on Netflix, and that was a mistake. I mean, it wasn’t, but it was. I would not recommend if you’re a spiraller… because, wow.’

‘I was not prepared to be so enraged and also disgusted. So many chemicals. In everything. All the time. Just watch at your own risk,’ a sixth concluded.

Last month, experts warned how everyday contact with plastic – from food packaging and cosmetics to household items – may pose a hidden risk to men’s health.

Scientists warned men about the risk of prostate cancer after plastic particles were found inside cancer tumours.

New research suggested that tiny fragments known as microplastics can build up inside the prostate, with significantly higher levels detected in cancerous tissue than in healthy areas of the organ.

While experts stress the findings are early, they add to growing concern about how widespread plastic exposure may affect the body over time, particularly as prostate cancer diagnoses have increased in recent years.

The documentary revealed how plastics were affecting the fertility of a group of couples

The study, carried out by researchers at leading US medical centre NYU Langone Health, analysed prostate tissue taken from 10 men undergoing surgery to remove the entire gland as part of their cancer treatment.

Scientists found microplastics in the tumours of nine out of ten patients. Plastic particles were also detected in nearby non-cancerous prostate tissue, but in much lower amounts.

On average, cancerous samples contained around 40 micrograms of plastic per gram of tissue, compared with 16 micrograms per gram in healthy prostate tissue – roughly two-and-a-half times more.

Researchers say the findings raise important questions about whether long-term exposure to plastic could contribute to cancer risk, particularly in organs that may be vulnerable to chronic inflammation.

Microplastics are tiny fragments formed when larger plastic items break down over time through heat, wear, sunlight or chemical treatment.

They come from sources such as food packaging, takeaway containers, cosmetics bottles, synthetic clothing fibres and household products.

People can ingest microplastics through food and drinking water, inhale them from the air, or absorb them through the skin.

Previous studies have already detected microplastics throughout the human body, including in blood, lungs, liver, heart and even the placenta. However, exactly how they affect health remains poorly understood.

Viewers have been quick to take to social media to share their shock after watching the documentary, revealing they were left ‘crashing out’ over the information about all the plastic in the average home

In the latest study, researchers used specialised equipment to visually examine prostate tissue samples before analysing them to determine both the amount and chemical composition of plastic present.

The team focused on 12 of the most common plastic polymers found in everyday consumer products.

To avoid contaminating the samples – a major challenge in microplastic research – the scientists took extensive precautions.

Plastic tools were avoided entirely, replaced with equipment made from aluminium, cotton and other non-plastic materials. Samples were handled in highly controlled clean rooms designed specifically for microplastic analysis.

Dr Stacy Loeb, the study’s lead author, said: ‘Our pilot study provides important evidence that microplastic exposure may be a risk factor for prostate cancer.’

Microplastics have been linked to a range of health issues, from respiratory and heart diseases to potential thyroid and colon cancers. 

Last September, a UK research team published a report that tested different products from popular UK brands, including coffee, tea, juices, energy drinks, soft drinks and even tap and bottled water and not a single beverage was free of microplastics.

The study found a direct link between beverage temperature and microplastic contamination. 

Heat acted as an accelerator, causing plastic tea bags or cup linings to shed millions of tiny particles. A single liter of hot tea contained 60 microplastic particles, double the amount in iced tea.

Pennington said: ‘From a personal exposure perspective, drinking a hot cup of coffee in a plastic cup or even, a lot of people don’t realize that paper cups have a plastic lining,’ can be risky.

As research intensifies, the dangers of microplastics accumulating in human blood and tissues are coming into sharper focus. 

A 2024 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year found microscopic particles of plastics embedded in the fatty plaques of patients’ arteries.

Patients with plastic in their arterial plaque had significantly higher inflammation and were 4.5 times more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die within three years. 

Another 2024 analysis in Environmental Science & Technology found that microplastics exhibit key characteristics of carcinogens that can lead to colon cancer. 

Inhaled or ingested microplastics can trigger chronic inflammation and disrupt cell processes, which are mechanisms known to drive tumor growth. Studies have already linked airborne microplastic exposure to a higher risk of lung cancer. 

And evidence is growing that the toxins impair fertility. A University of New Mexico research team found that microplastics had permeated human and canine testicular tissues, identifying 12 types in 47 canine and 23 human testes. 

Researchers were able to count sperm in canine samples but not in chemically preserved human samples. They found that higher levels of plastic particles in the tissue were associated with lower sperm counts. 

New research out in March also linked higher environmental levels of microplastics to an increased risk of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. 

The concentration of microplastic pollution was a top-10 predictor for these conditions, ranking alongside major factors like income and air quality. 

The Plastic Detox is available to stream on Netflix now.