A new study reveals that microplastics are present in the brains of deceased individuals, with concentrations increasing over time. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of New Mexico, found higher levels of microplastics in the brains of those who died in 2024 compared to those who died in 2016. While the study doesn't establish a causal link between microplastics and dementia, it suggests a possible correlation as brain tissue from individuals with dementia showed higher microplastic levels.
, showing they can cross the blood-brain barrier, and the amounts of the tiny plastic bits inside our bodies appear to be increasing at a rate that reflects the increasing amount of global plastic waste.led by researchers at the University of New Mexico who measured microplastics in the brains, livers, and kidneys of people who died in either 2016 or in 2024.
“I never would have imagined it was this high. I certainly don’t feel comfortable with this much plastic in my brain, and I don’t need to wait around 30 more years to find out what happens if the concentrations quadruple,” study author Matthew Campen, PhD, a toxicology expert and professor in the University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy, said in a
For this latest study, the tissue samples came from the university’s medical investigator, who had done autopsies on the 28 people who died in 2016 and the 24 people who died in 2024. The average age of people who died in 2016 was 45 years old, and the average age of people who died in 2024 was 51, although a statistical analysis suggests age wasn’t related to microplastic levels.
Microplastics Brain Health Plastic Pollution Dementia
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