You don't normally think of your brain being polluted but, chances are, it is. Researchers say they have found an "alarming" amount of microplastics in human brains, as well as other crucial organs.
"There’s much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with, said Matthew Campen, a toxicologist at the University of New Mexico, one of the scientists studying the issue.
Given the research findings, “it is now imperative to declare a global emergency” to deal with plastic pollution, said Sedat-Guendogdu, who studies microplastics at Cukurova University in Turkey.
Humans are exposed to microplastics – defined as fragments smaller than 5mm in diameter – and the chemicals used to make plastics from widespread plastic pollution in air, water and even food.
Finding microplastics in more and more human organs “raises a lot of concerns”, given what we know about health effects in animals, studies of human cells in the lab, and emerging epidemiological studies, said Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. “It’s scary, I’d say,” he said, according to a report in The Guardian.
What can you do?
It’s obviously a global problem that doesn’t really lend itself to individual solutions, but there are a few things consumers can do to increase their safety margin, including:
Dietary Habits:
Reduce seafood consumption: Seafood is a major source of microplastic ingestion. Consider reducing your intake, especially of shellfish and smaller fish.
Choose filtered water: Invest in a water filter certified to remove microplastics. Alternatively, consider using glass or stainless-steel bottles and refilling them with filtered water.
Minimize processed foods: Processed foods often contain microplastics from packaging and processing equipment. Opt for fresh, whole foods whenever possible.
Avoid heating food in plastic: Microplastics can leach into food from plastic containers when heated. Use glass or ceramic containers for microwaving or storing hot food.
Lifestyle Choices:
Use reusable containers and utensils: Avoid single-use plastic items like bags, cutlery, and straws. Carry reusable alternatives made of stainless steel, glass, or bamboo.
Choose natural fibers for clothing: Synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon shed microplastic fibers during washing. Opt for clothing made from natural materials like cotton, wool, and hemp.
Wash synthetic clothes less frequently and use a microfiber filter: When washing synthetic clothes, consider using a washing machine filter that catches microplastic fibers. Additionally, wash these items less frequently to reduce shedding.
Air purifier with HEPA filter: Consider using an air purifier with a HEPA filter to reduce microplastics in indoor air.
Brains contained more than other organs
In one of the more recent studies, researchers found the brain was collecting more microplastics than other organs.
An examination of the livers, kidneys and brains of autopsied bodies found that all contained microplastics, but the 91 brain samples contained on average about 10 to 20 times more than the other organs. The results came as a shock, according to New Mexico’s Campen, thes lead author of a pre-print paper still undergoing peer review that is posted online by the National Institutes of Health
The researchers found that 24 of the brain samples, which were collected in early 2024, measured on average about 0.5% plastic by weight.
The study describes the brain as “one of the most plastic-polluted tissues yet sampled.”
Rising rapidly
The researchers found that the quantity of microplastics in brain samples from 2024 was about 50% higher from the total in samples that date to 2016, suggesting the concentration of microplastics found in human brains is rising at a similar rate to that found in the environment.
Most of the organs came from the office of the medical investigator in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which investigates untimely or violent deaths.
Other researchers are reporting similar findings. The Journal of Hazardous Materials published a study last month that found microplastics in all 16 samples of bone marrow examined. All the samples contained polystyrene, used to make packing for peanuts and electronics, and almost all contained polyethylene, used in clear food wrap, detergent bottles and other common household products.