Brain could be host to microplastics, nanoplastics
Microplastics and nanoplastics may be present in human brain tissue and could play a role in dementia.
In a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers examined postmortem tissue samples collected from the frontal cortex of the human brain as well as the liver and kidney between 2016 and 2024.
The researchers uncovered median brain microplastic and nanoplastic concentrations of 4,917 micrograms per gram, exhibiting concentrations that were far greater than those found in the liver and kidney tissue samples. Additionally, between 2016 and 2024, the total mass concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics in the brain samples rose by about 50%.
They also identified substantially elevated concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics in the brain samples of patients with dementia. Despite the correlation, the researchers noted that causality could not be established between microplastic and nanoplastic concentrations and the development of dementia.
The findings emphasized a critical need to identify potential routes of exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics as well as the health consequences of the plastics in human brain tissue.
Read more: Nature Medicine
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