More plastic in the brain than in the liver and kidneys

2025/02/05 Etxebeste Aduriz, Egoitz - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

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More micro- and nanoplastics have been found in human brains than in livers and kidneys.In addition, it has been observed that there are more particles in the samples of 2024 than in 2016. Researchers have made it clear that the potential health impact of this is unclear, but it could be a consequence of the global increase in the concentration of plastic in the environment. The work is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Micro- and nanoplastics have been studied in liver, kidney and brain samples (frontal cortex) from 52 corpses that underwent autopsy in 2016 and 2024. Plastic particles were detected in all samples. Similar concentrations were found in the livers and kidneys and significantly higher in the brains. They did not find differences by age, sex, race or ethnicity, or causes of death; but they did find differences by year of death: they found more micro- and nanoplastics in liver and brain samples in 2024.

Finally, a higher accumulation was observed in brain samples from 12 corpses diagnosed with dementia. The authors clearly state that they have identified only one association, which does not imply a causal link. However, in their view, these results highlight the need for longer-term research with larger and more diverse populations to shed light on the potential health effects of the accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics.