Microplastics found in the brain: Study
- Microplastics have been found to exist in food
- They carry a multitude of health risks
- Recycled plastics and filtered water are among the alternatives
Microplastics are photographed in 2020 at a beach in Depoe Bay, Ore. (Andrew Selsky, Associated Press file)
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(NewsNation) — Microplastics are everywhere, and now according to a new study, that includes inside human brain tissue.
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, found the 91 brains analyzed had significantly more micro and nanoplastics than the liver and kidneys.
All had microplastics, with 24 of the brain samples — all of which were researched in 2024 — having an average of 0.5% plastic by weight.
“It’s pretty alarming,” study author Matthew Campen said in The Guardian. “There’s much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with.”
The study also highlighted an approximate 50% increase in the microplastics found in the brain samples from 2016 to 2024.
“I don’t know how much more plastic our brain can stuff in without it causing some problems,” Campen added.
“You can draw a line — it’s increasing over time. It’s consistent with what you’re seeing in the environment.”
There have been several studies that have shown the prevalence of microplastics in food, water and plastic bottles.
“There’s no escaping them no matter what you eat, it seems. The plastic pollution crisis is impacting all of us, and we need to take action to address its many forms,” Dr. Britta Baechler, a marine biologist and associate director of plastics science at Ocean Conservancy, said earlier this year, as reported by The Hill.
