High levels of microplastics found in human brains
By Douglas Main
A new study has found high concentrations of tiny plastic particles in human brain samples, with levels appearing to climb over time.
The paper, published Monday in the journal Nature Medicine, found nanoplastics in each of the brain samples studied, and found a potential link between the presence of the plastics and several types of dementia.
“There’s much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with,” said Matthew Campen, a doctor and researcher at the University of New Mexico who is the lead author of the study.
The median concentration in brain samples collected from people who died in 2024 was nearly 5 micrograms of plastic per gram of brain tissue, tallying almost 0.5% by weight.
This total was 50% higher than it was just eight year prior, from brain samples acquired in 2016 (for various reasons, most brain samples become available these two years). This suggests the concentration of microplastics found in human brains is going up as plastic waste and microplastic pollution increases.
“You can draw a line — it’s increasing over time. It’s consistent with what you’re seeing in the environment,” Campen said.