New research has found alarmingly high levels of microplastics in the human brain, which could be linked to the global rise in Alzheimer’s.
The study, led by researchers at the University of New Mexico, is published online as a pre-print, meaning it must be reviewed by other scientists.
The findings are already worrying, as the highest concentrations of microplastics were found in 12 brain samples from people who had died from dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting there may be a link.
Early findings suggest that large amounts of microplastics accumulate in the brain, underscoring the need for more research into the impact of these particles on human health.
People are constantly exposed to microplastics: plastic fragments smaller than five millimeters.
They are in our air, water, food, cosmetics and practically everywhere. They also enter our organs when we inhale or swallow them.
The researchers measured microplastic concentrations in 51 liver, kidney and brain samples collected in 2016 and 2024.
All samples contained the particles, but the brain samples contained seven to thirty times more than the liver or kidney samples.
In addition, 12 brain samples from people who died of dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease contained up to 10 times more plastic than healthy samples. the New Lede reported.
These initial findings do not prove a link between microplastics in the brain and the occurrence of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
But they do suggest a need for further research, as cases of these diseases are rising worldwide and the amount of plastic in the brain has increased by more than 50 percent in the past eight years, the researchers wrote in their report.
In addition, previous studies in mice have linked nanoplastics (plastic particles even smaller than microplastics) in the brain to cognitive changes, Parkinson’s disease and certain forms of dementia.
Such a study, published in the journal Scientific progress discovered in 2023 that nanoplastics can interact with a protein called alpha-synuclein.
This protein is found in every brain and plays a role in communication between nerve cells.
Plastic particles can bind strongly to alpha-synuclein, causing toxic clumps to form, similar to what occurs in Parkinson’s disease and related dementias.
In the pre-print study, the researchers cite this mechanism as a possible cause of human brain diseases that deserves further investigation.
In recent years, numerous studies have shown that microplastics are found in virtually every part of the human body, including the heart, testicles, breast milk, placenta, liver, kidneys and brain.
Microplastics are found almost everywhere: in the air, in our food and in our water.
But this new research shows that unusually high concentrations of microplastics accumulate in the brain and that these concentrations increase over time.
“It’s quite alarming,” Matthew Campen, a toxicologist at the University of New Mexico and lead author of the study, told the New Lede.
“There’s a lot more plastic in our brains than I ever thought or felt comfortable with.”
Scientists still do not fully understand how microplastics affect human health.
But another recent study suggests that microplastics in the arteries may increase the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
In addition, chemicals commonly found in plastic have been linked to a range of health problems, including cancer, metabolic disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and fertility problems.
The increasing amount of microplastics in the brain could theoretically influence global trends in neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s – a form of dementia.
According to a 2022 study published in the journal Science, the number of dementia cases worldwide is expected to triple by 2050. the Lancet Public Health.
But more research is needed to link microplastics to this trend.
There are numerous risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, including age, genetics, head injury, hearing loss, and more.
However, there is currently no evidence that the accumulation of microplastics in the brain is one of these risk factors.
This study provides new impetus for research into the impact of microplastics on human brain health, as it may be important for understanding the global increase in dementia and Alzheimer’s.