2024-09-17 17:30:38
Microplastics can be found in the sea, in food and also in our bodies. According to one study, they even reach the brain – via a previously unknown mechanism.
It has long been known that we ingest microplastics every day, primarily through food. In the body, the tiny plastic particles can penetrate tissue and organs – including the heart, liver, intestines and brain. But according to a new study, microplastics can also be inhaled through the nose and then transported to the brain. This is the report of researchers from Brazil.
For their study, which was published in the journal “JAMA Network”, they examined the brain tissue of 15 deceased people and found that in eight of them, tiny plastic parts could be detected in a part of the brain, the so-called olfactory bulb.
The scientists concluded that the nose could be an entry point for microplastics and that they could penetrate further into the brain beyond the olfactory bulb.
“Previous studies in humans and animals have shown that air pollution reaches the brain and that particles have been found in the olfactory bulb, which is why we believe that the olfactory bulb is probably one of the first points through which microplastics enter the brain,” said study author Dr. Thais Mauad, Professor of Pathology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo.
In total, the researchers found 16 plastic fibers and particles ranging in size from 5.5 to 26.4 micrometers. The most common type of plastic was polypropylene, followed by polyamide, nylon and polyethylene vinyl acetate. “Propylene is everywhere, in furniture, carpets, clothing,” the researchers explained. “We know that we are most exposed to the particles indoors because our homes are full of plastic.”
Various studies had previously found that microplastics can apparently trigger inflammatory and immune reactions in the body and contribute to the development of cancer. The researchers of the current study assume that the plastic particles could also increase the risk of inflammation and neurological disorders in the brain. Further research is needed to confirm this.