Detecting large amounts of micro -plastic in the human brain

Micro -plastic, plastic seeds are smaller than 5 mm, penetrate into the environment at an alarming speed when the amount of plastic used globally increases. The amount of micro plastic found in the environment has soared over the past few decades, with the current plastic production of more than 300 million tons every year, estimated at 2.5 million tons of plastic floating in the oceans in 2023, 10 times more than 2005.

A study published on February 3 in Nature Medicine magazine discovered micro -plastic and nano plastic (smaller than 1/1000 nanomet), accumulating in the human brain with higher amounts in the liver and kidneys. The study also recorded the density of micro -plastic and nano plastic in the 2024 sample higher than in 2016 and the amount of plastic is higher in the brain of the person suffering from memory impairment.

Although the study did not establish a cause relationship – the consequence between plastic particles and memory impairment, sparked many questions about the potential impact on the health of exposure to micro -plastic. Although scientists know the micro -plastic survives in the human body, the way they affect health has not been clarified. “People are exposed to the increasing amount of micro -plastic and plastic nano,” said the researcher Matthew Campen, a professor of pharmaceutical science at the University of New Mexico.

Nano plastic and plastic (MNP) may be invisible to the naked eye and come from larger products such as soda bottles, nylon bags and plastic boxes decomposed in the environment. Scientists have studied MNP in the ocean since the 1970s. Marine animals contain micro -plastic in the body, absorbed from seawater and eat polluted fish. Micro plastic also accumulates in the tissue of animals that humans often eat such as pigs, cows, and chickens.

Plastic micro can survive in the air. The indoor atmosphere is more special than the outdoor air because the particles released from plastic in clothes, furniture and household products. After we inhale these seeds, they can move in the body and go to many different organs. Studies found MNP in the lungs, placenta, blood vessels and bone marrow. A 2024 study found that MNP evidence could overcome blood -brain barriers, a filter that controlled what entered the brain from blood vessels. Although previously, researchers believe that the smallest nano resin can overcome barriers, the new research shows that larger micro -plastic can enter the brain.

Campen and colleagues researched the existence of MNP in the brain at a shocking level. They checked 52 human brain samples from 2016 to 2024, all taken from the frontal lobe, the brain area responsible for evaluating, making decisions and motivation. The researchers also considered the liver and kidney samples from the same body, checking all tissues by taking microscopic photos and molecular analysis to determine the chemical composition.

The brain and liver samples from 2024 contain a much higher MNP density than the sample since 2016. The total plastic volume in the brain in the study increased by about 50% between 2016 and 2024. The research team thought that the MNP density density Strongly increased at home, air and water may be the cause.

The amount of micro -plastic increases in the environment reflected in the new detection. The brain sample contains many MNPs 7-30 times higher than the liver and kidney samples. Plastic particles in the brain are mainly small pieces of polyethylene, one of the most popular plastic in the world often used in packaging. This proves that MNP accumulates more in the brain than other internal organs. Inhalation through the nose to the olfactory onion, the brain treatment of the smell, provides the MNP in the air the path directly to the brain compared to other organs.

Campen pointed out that human age is not associated with the amount of plastic in the organs. Another noteworthy finding is that the amount of MNP in the brain with memory impairment is 3-5 times higher. The team emphasized that this does not mean that MNP causes memory impairment, but this relationship needs to be further studied. It is likely that people with memory impairment have blood barriers – brain does not work well as healthy people.

Although scientists do not fully understand the health effects of MNP in the brain, they call for more research to find out whether they are harmful. The research results show that the MNP in the artery may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and cancer cells in the stomach that can spread faster after interacting with MNP. Next, the Campen’s research team wanted to consider the entire brain to find out whether plastic accumulated more in a specific area and the accompanying health impact.