United States: The international community expresses major concern about environmental microplastics because they have become widely recognized issues.
Current scientific research indicates that microplastics enter the human body to settle mainly in the brain tissues.
More about the news
Recent studies on human body accumulation allow scientists to investigate the effects of plastic particle exposure together with protective measures.
Researchers at Nature Medicine found a spoonful of plastic pieces in brain tissue, which constitutes a concerning finding.
Scientists discovered through brain examinations of dementia-diagnosed deceased patients that microplastic counts reached three to five times higher levels.
Research scholars from the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto published a literature review regarding human accumulation of micro and nanoplastics (MNPs).
Microplastics present in the brain
Scientific research confirms that microplastics exist everywhere, from drinking water to dietary food items to breathed-in air.
According to Dr. Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa’s Department of Psychiatry, “The dramatic increase in brain microplastic concentrations over just eight years, from 2016 to 2024, is particularly alarming. This rise mirrors the exponential increase we’re seeing in environmental microplastic levels,” earth.com reported.
According to the research team, brain tissue contained micro and nanoplastics at levels that exceeded those detected in vital organs like the liver or kidneys by 7-30 times.
These tiny pieces of plastic seem to demonstrate a preference for the human brain.
Brain tissue contains short yet tiny particles (less than 200 nanometers) that primarily consist of polyethylene and infiltrate the cerebrovascular walls along with immune cells.
These particles show a sufficiently small size to penetrate into the blood-brain barrier, which promotes theories about their neurological impact.
Scientific evidence does not clarify if dementia patients presented elevated MNP levels because of their neurological condition or if MNP levels cause dementia development.
Additional research will explore the connection between this phenomenon.