Study: Microplastics penetrate brain tissue

A growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics accumulate in vital human organs, including the brain, prompting researchers to call for more urgent action to curb plastic pollution.

Studies have found microscopic fragments and flecks of plastic in lungs, placentas, reproductive organs (sperm)liver, kidneys, human knee and elbow joints, blood vessels and bone marrow.

Taking into account the results of the study, “There is an urgent need to declare a global emergency“to combat plastic pollution, says Sendat Gundudu, who studies microplastics at Cukurova University in Turkey.

People are exposed to microplastics, defined as fragments less than 5 mm in diameter, and the chemicals used to make plastic, due to widespread plastic pollution in the air, water and even food.

Health risks associated with the entry of microplastics into the human bodyhave not yet been widely studied. Recent studies are just beginning to suggest that they may increase the risk of various conditions, such as oxidative stress, which can lead to cell damage and inflammation, as well as cardiovascular disease.

Animal studies have also linked microplastics with fertility problems, various types of cancer, endocrine and immune system disorders, and learning and memory impairment.

There are currently no government standards for plastic particles in food and water in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency is working to develop guidelines for measuring them, and since 2018 has been providing grants to develop new methods for their rapid detection and quantification.

“The discovery of microplastics in increasing quantities in human organs is 'very concerning' given what we know about their impact on animal healthx,” says Bethany Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, I would say it's scary“.

In one of the latest studies, scientists have discovered a particularly alarming accumulation of microplastics in brain samples. Autopsies of the liver, kidneys and brain showed that they all contained microplastics, however 91 brain samples contained, on average, approximately 10–20 times more of it than other organsaccording to lead study author Matthew Kampen, a toxicologist and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico, the results came as a shock.

The researchers found that 24 brain samples collected in early 2024 contained an average of about 0.5% plastic by weight.

«This is very disturbing.” said Kampen. There is more plastic in our brains than I ever imagined or felt comfortable with.” In the study The brain is described as “one of the most plastic-contaminated tissues discovered to date”.

During the study, scientists examined 12 brain samples from people who died from dementias, including Alzheimer's disease. Their brains contained 10 times more plastic by weight than healthy samples. “I don’t know how much more plastic can fill our brains without causing problems,” Kampen said.

The paper also found that the amount of microplastics in the 2024 brain samples was about 50% higher than in all samples dating back to 2016, suggesting that The concentration of microplastics found in the human brain is increasing at the same rate as in the environmentMost of the brain tissue samples came from the medical examiner's office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which investigates premature or violent deaths.

The Food and Drug Administration said in a statement on their website that “Current scientific evidence does not prove that the levels of microplastics or nanoplastics found in food pose a risk to human health.“.

However, researchers say that People should try to reduce their impact by avoiding the use of plastic when preparing food, especially when cooking in a microwave oven., drink tap water instead of bottled water and try to prevent the accumulation of dust contaminated with plastic.

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