September 4, 2024
Barely a century ago, plastic was not a thing. Now it’s everywhere. Literally. In the Antarctic, in the ocean, on Mt. Everest.
And in our bodies.
Scientists have known for some time now that tiny specks of plastic have been found in critical organs like lungs, livers and placentas. A new study has found even greater concentrations in the brain.
In a study that is still undergoing peer review, researchers measured microplastics in the brains, livers and kidneys of people who died in 2016 and in 2024. Of the samples collected in 2024, the brains had up to 20 times more microplastics than the livers and kidneys, and 24 of the brains had so much that they were effectively 0.5% plastic by weight. Twelve of the samples came from people who had suffered from dementia, and those brains held up to 10 times more plastic by weight than the others. Oh, and the amount of microplastics in the 2024 samples was about 50 percent greater than in the samples from 2016.
Yikes.