For the first time, microplastics have been discovered in the brain, leading scientists to conclude that people are breathing in harmful particles.
Plastic particles and fibers were found in the brains of numerous individuals who had died — thought to originate from food packaging, clothing, and bottles.
Experts warned that plastics potentially change and infiltrate cells, adding that there “can be no further doubt” about the dangers they pose to human health.
Researchers conducted the study on samples from 15 brains of people from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and discovered eight polypropylene traces.
The microplastics were identified in the portion of the brain known as the olfactory bulb, which is located above the nasal cavities. This bulb processes information about smells and relays it to other parts of the brain.
Researchers are concerned levels of smaller nanoplastics, which pass into the body with significantly greater ease, will be even higher.
Lead researcher from the University of São Paulo, Professor Thais Mauad, said: “This study finds that the olfactory pathway is a potential major entry route for plastic into the brain, meaning that breathing within indoor environments could be a major source of plastic pollution in the brain. With much smaller nanoplastics entering the body with greater ease, the total leave of plastic particles may be much higher.”
“What is worrying is the capacity of such particles to be internalized by cells and alter how our bodies function,” said Mauad.
The world produces 500 million tons of plastic yearly. Scientists have highlighted the risks created when it breaks down.
The substance was only invented in the 20th century and is being found increasingly inside humans, including breast milk and babies in the womb.
Scientists formulated a list of more than 16,000 chemicals present in plastic products, with over 4,000 considered hazardous to the environment and human health.
Researchers are growing increasingly worried about the capacity of such particles to be internalized in cells and cause cellular function alterations, particularly when interacting with children’s organs and causing clear alterations in adult life.
There is a growing body of evidence that plastics could play a crucial role in early-onset cancer inception, where healthy cells turn cancerous.
Earlier in the year, a study found cancerous cells in the gut spread at an increased rate after contact with microplastics.
Co-founder of the Plastic Health Council, Maria Westerbos, said: “Time and time again, scientists are peeling back the cover on plastics’ dangerous effects on human health. There can be no further doubt. The international community is only months away from the final Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, and yet policymakers are giving in to the petrochemical giants. The international community cannot waste any more time; they must finally listen to science, once and for all.”
