Microplastics found in human brains

A new paper shows that scientists have found microplastics in human brain tissue. Their discovery is the latest in a litany of studies finding tiny plastic particles no larger than a grain of sand in virtually every part of the human body.

The new study unearthed microplastics in the livers, kidneys and brains of human cadavers, with brain tissue containing up to 20 times more plastic than the other organs. More concerning, the brains of people who suffered from dementia contained significantly more plastic than the brains of healthy people. The findings, which are still undergoing peer review, were shared by the National Institutes of Health.

Microplastics have been discovered nearly everywhere in the world, from the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea to the clouds above Mount Fuji. They area also found in both the food we eat and water we drink. In humans, microplastics have been found in lungs, testicles, placentas and bone marrow and in other organs, as well as in blood, urine, semen and breast milk. Scientists still know little about how microplastics impact the human body, including if it damages human cells.

The new study found more plastic in brain samples gathered in 2024 than in samples gathered in 2016. The 2024 samples contained 0.5% plastic by weight.

“It’s increasing over time,” said researcher Matthew Campen of the University of New Mexico, who carried out the study. “It’s consistent with what you’re seeing in the environment...it’s pretty alarming.”

Read more below:

Microplastics Found in Human Brains - Published at the Yale School of the Environment
Bioaccumulation of Microplastics in Decedent Human Brains Assessed by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry - Matthew Campen, Alexander Nihart, Marcus Garcia et al. PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4345687/v1]