Plastic in your brain? New study finds 4-5 paper clips worth of microplastics in brain tissue

Plastic pollution is no longer just an environmental issue, it’s now a human health concern. A startling new study from the University of New Mexico has found that microscopic plastic particles are accumulating in human brains at alarmingly high levels, far more than in other organs. Even more concerning, these concentrations have surged by 50% in just eight years.

Researchers analysing postmortem brain tissue discovered that microplastic levels were about 12 times higher in the brain compared to the liver or kidney. Brain samples from individuals with dementia contained up to ten times more plastic than those without the condition.