The Plastic Inside Us: Microplastics Found in Brains, Blood, and Lungs May Reshape Health

The Plastic Inside Us: Microplastics Found in Brains, Blood, and Lungs May Reshape Health
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Microplastics have been discovered lodged deep inside the human body—in our blood, placentas, lungs, and even the brain—leading researchers to suspect these pervasive particles are beginning to interfere with our fundamental biological processes, according to The Guardian.

Researchers are increasingly concerned about the health implications of this ubiquitous exposure. A study presented at the recent United European Gastroenterology conference showed that when common microplastics were exposed to human gut bacteria, the microbial populations shifted, altering the chemicals they produced. Some of these changes mirrored patterns linked to conditions like depression and colorectal cancer.

Separately, a study on mice found that those exposed to microplastics behaved differently, displaying restlessness often seen with aging and neurological disease. Dissection revealed plastic in the brain, where a key protein linked to brain health was depleted, mimicking patterns seen in dementia. In humans, microplastics have been found in the arterial plaques of heart disease patients, with those who had plastic-laden plaques being significantly more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack within three years.

Microplastics are shed from various everyday items, including packaging, clothing, paints, and car tires. Some are tiny enough to slip through the linings of the lungs and guts into the bloodstream and internal organs. While scientists acknowledge that a “safe” level of microplastic is currently unknown, they emphasize that historically, exposure to high levels of airborne particles has been detrimental to health, urging caution and efforts to minimize personal exposure.