Brain samples contained an average of 0.5% plastic by weight.
Global human usage of plastic has resulted in serious environmental contamination, including the discharge of microplastics. The air, water, soil, food, and even human organs have been reported to contain these tiny plastic particles. Microplastics are a serious health and environmental issue, as they can have adverse effects on human health and ecosystems.
According to a report by The Guardian, a growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, leading researchers to call for more urgent actions to rein in plastic pollution. Studies have detected tiny shards and specks of plastic in human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels, and bone marrow.
Given the research findings, "it is now imperative to declare a global emergency" to deal with plastic pollution, said Sedat Gundogdu, who studies microplastics at Cukurova University in Turkey.
Humans are exposed to microplastics, defined as fragments smaller than 5 mm in diameter, and the chemicals used to make plastics from widespread plastic pollution in the air, water, and even food.
A particularly concerning buildup of microplastics in brain samples is highlighted in a study paper that is presently undergoing peer review and was released online by the National Institutes of Health. The lead author of the study, Matthew Campen, a toxicologist and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico, says that the researchers found an average of roughly 0.5% plastic by weight in the brain samples that were taken in early 2024.
"It's pretty alarming," Campen said. "There's much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with."