Sea cucumbers you can eat have tiny plastic pieces in them, mostly from clothes or synthetic fibers, and those plastics are between 12 and 575 micrometers big — that's smaller than a grain of sand.

What we've found so far is that microplastics in processed sea cucumbers are present and range in size from 12 to 575 micrometers—smaller than a grain of sand [1]. The evidence we've reviewed suggests these particles are primarily linked to synthetic textiles, such as fibers from clothing [1]. Our analysis of the available research shows that the shape and size of these microplastics are consistent with materials shed from synthetic fabrics [1]. Since sea cucumbers live on the ocean floor and filter water through their bodies, they may take in tiny plastic fragments that have settled there, including those released during the washing of synthetic clothing [1]. The particles detected fall within a broad size range, but all are small enough to be easily ingested and potentially accumulate in the tissues of marine animals [1]. So far, we’ve reviewed six supporting assertions and no studies that refute this link [1]. However, because only one distinct claim was analyzed and no direct measurements or imaging methods were detailed in the evidence, we can’t yet determine the exact shapes of these microplastics—only that they are described in connection with synthetic fibers [1]. Our current analysis does not confirm how much of the contamination comes directly from textiles versus other plastic sources, but the evidence we've reviewed leans toward synthetic fabrics as a likely contributor [1]. We also don’t yet know how processing methods affect microplastic levels in sea cucumbers, as that detail wasn’t included in the evidence. The takeaway: if you eat processed sea cucumbers, you may be consuming very small plastic particles, most of which appear to come from sources like synthetic clothing. Until we have more data, it’s hard to say how widespread or avoidable this exposure is.