The amount of microplastics found in human brains over the past eight years has increased by 50%, according to new research published in the journal Nature Medicine.
On Monday, a group of scientists released findings based on examinations of postmortem samples from dozens of people who died between 1997 and 2024.
The researchers concluded there has been a steep uptick in micro and nanoplastics in brain tissue. They also determined that concentrations of microplastics were at least six times higher in brain samples from people who had been diagnosed with dementia, although researchers cautioned more research is needed before reaching decisive conclusions about links.
“Rising global concentrations of environmental microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) drive concerns for human exposure and health outcomes,” said the researchers, who were led by Professor Matthew Campen at the University of New Mexico.
“Given the exponentially rising environmental presence of micro- and nanoplastics, this data compels a much larger effort to understand whether they have a role in neurological disorders or other human health effects,” the researchers added. “These results highlight a critical need to better understand the routes of exposure, uptake and clearance pathways and potential health consequences of plastics in human tissues, particularly in the brain.”
Microplastics, also described as part of a group of “forever chemicals,” have been under increasing scrutiny in recent years. Much of the debate rides on concerns about their pervasiveness in everyday life, as the chemical is used to package food and is contained in items from baby bottles to clothing. According to researchers, plastics can break down, seeping into food and other items that are ingested or absorbed by humans.
Federal scientists have warned that microplastics also break down into estrogen, leading to increased estrogen levels in the environment—findings which some experts say may contribute to rising levels of early puberty and explain why testosterone levels for men in the U.S. have seen substantial declines over the past two decades.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, raised concerns about additional research showing microplastics found in the human brain during his campaign for president last year. At the time, he agreed that nutrition labels should be required to include how many microplastics “there are per serving for foods and beverages packaged in plastic,” while the HHS nominee more recently pressed a leading physician on the topic during a Senate roundtable discussion last September. Dr. Chris Palmer responded to concerns by noting more research is needed to determine whether “microplastics are in fact associated with harmful conditions because microplastics are now ubiquitous.”
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Dr. Campen suggested most microplastics in the human body are ingested through food, particularly meat.
“I have yet to encounter a single human being who says, ‘There’s a bunch of plastic in my brain, and I’m totally cool with that,'” he said.