ALBUQUERQUE: The world is filled with microplastics, found in everything from the air and oceanwater to common foods like chicken and rice, and in even the human brain, according to a recent study.
These tiny plastic particles, as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency, can vary in size from 5 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) to 1 nanometer, which is invisible to the naked eye.
A study published in May investigated the rising levels of micro and nano plastics (MNPs) in the environment and their potential impact on human health. Researchers analyzed these tiny, shard-like particles in human organs—specifically the liver, kidneys, and brain—using autopsy samples collected in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from 2016 to 2024. The brain tissue samples were taken from the frontal cortex, which is responsible for abstract thinking, creativity, and motor functions.
The study revealed that the brain contained higher concentrations of microplastics compared to the liver and kidneys, with plastic levels in all organs significantly increasing over time. Matthew Campen, the study’s lead author and a regents’ professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico, told international media that in the brain tissue of “normal individuals” aged 45 to 50 years, plastic particles were found at a concentration of 4,800 micrograms per gram, accounting for about 0.5% of the tissue’s weight.
“Compared to autopsy brain samples from 2016, that’s an increase of around 50%,” he noted. “This suggests that our brains today are 99.5% brain tissue, with the rest being plastic.”
Polyethylene, a plastic widely used in packaging, plastic bags, storage containers, and toys, was the most commonly found type of plastic, with higher concentrations in the brain compared to other tissues. This information is supported by the book Microfluidics for Cellular Applications.
While this study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, it has yet to undergo peer review or be published in a scientific journal.
How to Avoid Using Microplastics?
Similar studies earlier this year revealed “pervasive” levels of microplastics in human and dog testicles, as well as in various meats. “It seems there’s no escaping them, no matter what you eat,” remarked Dr. Britta Baechler, a marine biologist and Associate Director of Plastics Science at Ocean Conservancy, in a statement earlier this year. “The plastic pollution crisis is affecting all of us, and action is needed to address its many forms.”
In 2019, Australian researchers working for the World Wildlife Fund estimated that the average person consumes around 5 grams of plastic each week from daily food and drinks—about the weight of a credit card. However, this estimate is not universally accepted within the scientific community.
Although some scientists are concerned about the potential health risks of microplastics, a 2022 World Health Organization (WHO) report concluded that there is no clear evidence of harm to human health, although this remains an emerging area of research.
