Rebecca Manzi A study, conducted on brain tissue samples from autopsies performed between 1997 and 2024, found a high presence of microplastics in the human brain (on average as much as a teaspoon)
In the recent past, there have been some reports of studies showing the presence of microplastics in the human organs and tissues. Microplastics are created when the plastic is dissolved, and their presence has been identified in blood, lungs, placenta, and even human sperm. Their “omnipresence” is raising genuine concerns about their potential health effects.
But how much microplastic does the brain hold? A new study by the University of New Mexico and in Nature Medicine sought to find out exactly that. Scientists analyzed tissue samples from the brains, livers, and kidneys of 52 autopsies conducted between 2016 and 2024.
The results
The findings were startling: brain tissue samples contained much higher concentrations of microplastics than other organs, with average quantities of approximately 0.25 ounces—about the weight of a teaspoon.
In particular, the study revealed that microplastic concentrations in the brain were 7 to 30 times higher than concentrations found in the liver and kidneys. Additionally, comparing the 2016 samples with those of 2024, researchers discovered a 50% increase in microplastic concentration in brain tissue. The disturbing trend suggests a growing environmental exposure to microplastics over time.
And another significant finding was that dementia patients had three to five times more microplastic particles in their brains than healthy individuals. While no direct cause-and-effect has been established, researchers consider this data significant and call for further studies.
How do microplastics get into the brain?
Microplastics are incorporated into the human body via ingestion of food material, breathing in suspended particulates, and use of products with microplastics. Within the vascular system, these particles can cross the blood-brain barrier to get deposited in the brain tissue.
The fact that microplastics have been found in the brain is most alarming because of the sensitivity of the organ and its role in essential body functions. Unlike the liver and kidneys, which have the function of detoxifying the body, it is not yet known how the brain can excrete such chemicals, leaving it more susceptible to buildup.
For scientists, understanding how the particles gain entry to the brain and what the potential health impact might be is critical. Microplastics may alter blood flow and cause neurological damage in some laboratory tests on animals, but definitive evidence in humans has not yet materialized.
@Nature
@Nature
Polyethylene is the most ubiquitous plastic encountered
Polyethylene, the most widely used food-packaging and plastic-bag material, was the most prevalent type of plastic in the samples tested, accounting for about 75% of the detected particles. The specialists explain that the rise in brain microplastics reflects the rising production and widespread use of plastic in the past decades.
Although research is ongoing, the study brings into sharp focus the compelling necessity of analyzing the link between microplastics and neurological disorders. Apart from this, action has to be initiated in order to halt plastic contamination and restrict exposure to such particles among humans. Reduction of plastics may be the answer to the lowering of risk contributed by the deposition of microplastics—a problem of growing urgency.
Source: Nature Medicine
