Microplastics Found in Brain Samples

The finding of worrying levels of microplastics in human brain tissue, associated with dementia, is analysed in a commentary published today in the journal Brain Medicine, which outlines prevention strategies to reduce exposure to pollutants.

In the article “Removing microplastics in humans: what does the evidence tell us?” Academics and doctors have comprehensively commented on the groundbreaking study “Bioaccumulation of microplastics in human brains,” released in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday.

The study reveals that human brains contain the equivalent of approximately one spoonful of microplastics (less than five millimeters) and nanoplastics (NPM), with individuals diagnosed with dementia having levels three to five times higher, according to a statement released by the scientific publisher Genomic Press.

“More worryingly, seven to thirty times higher concentrations of MNP were found in brain tissues compared to other organs such as the liver or kidneys.”

Particles smaller than 200 nanometres (millionth of a millimetre), predominantly composed of polyethylene (one of the most common types of plastic), are the most concerning, due to their remarkable deposition on cerebrovascular walls and immune cells and the fact that their size potentially allows them to cross the blood-brain barrier (barrier between general blood circulation and the brain), which raises questions about its effect on the nervous system.

“The significant increase in brain concentrations of microplastic in just eight years, from 2016 to 2024, is particularly alarming,” notes Nicholas Fabiano, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa (Canada) and lead author of the commentary.

“This increase reflects the exponential increase we see in environmental microplastic levels,” he adds, quoted in the statement.

Among practical strategies to reduce exposure to pollutants, the commentary highlights switching from bottled water to tap water, which can reduce microplastic intake from 90,000 to 4,000 particles per year.

“Bottled water alone can expose people to almost as many microplastic particles annually as all ingested and inhaled sources combined,” says Brandon Luu, an internal medicine resident at the University of Toronto, adding that “switching to tap water can reduce this exposure by almost 90%, making it one of the simplest ways to reduce microplastic intake.”

Not using tea bags (which can release millions of micro and nanoplastic particles per use) and not storing or heating food in plastic containers, especially in the microwave, are other ways to reduce the intake of these pollutants.

Potential elimination modes are also being investigated, including evidence that sweating may help remove certain plastic-derived compounds from the body.

For scientist David Puder, host of the American podcast Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, “more research is needed to understand microplastics, considering that this may be one of the biggest environmental storms that most people did not expect.”

The authors of the commentary call for clear exposure limits to be urgently established and the long-term health consequences of microplastic accumulation in the body assessed, highlighting the need for large-scale studies with people to determine the dose-response relationships between microplastic exposure and chronic health problems.

Samantha Gannon

info at madeira-weekly.com