Nanoplastics are tiny shards of plastic that aren’t visible to the eye. Human brain samples collected from an autopsy in early 2024 were found to contain 50% more nanoplastics than brain samples from eight years prior. The concentrations that scientists saw in the brain tissue of individuals (about 40 to 50 years old) contained nanoplastics that amounted to an entire plastic spoon. Researchers suggest that dementia can elevate the amount of nanoplastics in the human brain, as compared to normal brains, people who had been diagnosed with dementia had three to five times more nanoplastics. The nanoplastics were found in the walls of arteries, the veins of the brain, and the brain’s immune cells. This is because dementia causes inflammatory cells and atrophy of brain tissue, which can create a sink for the plastics to go. Aside from this, it is unclear whether the nanoplastics can enter and leave the brain or can collect and promote disease. Researchers are continuing their research to find the effects of plastic shards on the brain.
Over time, there has been an increase in nanoplastics in the brain because of rapidly increasing exposure to plastics. As a result, nanoplastics can spread to affect other major organs as well. By invading individual cells and tissues in major organs, they can interrupt cellular processes and deposit endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Endocrine disruptors interfere with the human reproductive system and lead to reproductive malformations, female infertility, and a decline in sperm count. Reducing your exposure to plastics in your daily life can reduce the chance of consuming microplastics. For example, using reusable shopping bags, drinking from a reusable water bottle, and storing food in glass containers are ways to decrease your exposure to plastic. In conclusion, the research about nanoplastics in the human brain contributes to our knowledge of the effects of nanoplastics and can be used to develop improved tools to measure the toxicity of nanoplastics to humans.
Comments