A Plastic Spoon’s Worth of Plastic is Inside Your Brain, Warns Study
A plastic spoon’s worth of plastic is inside your brain, researchers warned on Tuesday, showing alarming new evidence about microplastic accumulation in human brain tissue.
- ONTARIO — A
plastic spoon’s worth of plastic is inside your brain, researchers warned on
Tuesday, showing alarming new evidence about microplastic accumulation in human
brain tissue.
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- Published in the journal Brain Medicine, the research
revealed that human brains contain approximately a spoon's worth of
microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs), with levels 3-5 times higher in
individuals with documented dementia diagnoses.
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- More concerning still, brain tissues showed 7-30 times
higher concentrations of MNPs compared to other organs like the liver or
kidney.
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- "The dramatic increase in brain microplastic
concentrations over just eight years, from 2016 to 2024, is particularly
alarming," said Dr Nicholas Fabiano from the University of Ottawa's
Department of Psychiatry and lead author of the commentary. "This rise
mirrors the exponential increase we're seeing in environmental microplastic
levels,” he mentioned.
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- Of particular concern are particles smaller than 200
nanometers, predominantly composed of polyethylene, which show notable
deposition in cerebrovascular walls and immune cells.
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- This size allows them to potentially cross the blood-brain
barrier, raising questions about their role in neurological conditions.
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- The commentary said that switching from bottled to filtered
tap water alone could reduce microplastic intake from 90,000 to 4,000 particles
per year.
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- "Bottled water alone can expose people to nearly as
many microplastic particles annually as all ingested and inhaled sources
combined," said Dr Brandon Luu, an Internal Medicine Resident at the
University of Toronto.
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- Switching to tap water could reduce this exposure by almost
90 per cent, making it one of the simplest ways to cut down on microplastic
intake.
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- Other significant sources include plastic tea bags, which
can release millions of micro and nano-sized particles per brewing session.
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- Heating food in plastic containers — especially in the
microwave — can release substantial amounts of microplastics and nanoplastics,
said researchers.
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- "Avoiding plastic food storage and using glass or stainless-steel
alternatives is a small but meaningful step in limiting exposure. While these
changes make sense, we still need research to confirm whether lowering intake
leads to reduced accumulation in human tissues,” said Dr Luu.
