Microplastics have been found in the human brain for the first time.
Microplastics have been found in the human brain
A study has revealed that plastic fibres and particles - which are thought to have originated from clothing, bottles and food packaging - were discovered in the brains of people who had passed away, leading scientists to conclude that the harmful particles are being breathed in.
Scientists conducted the study on samples taken from the brains of 15 people from Sao Paulo, Brazil, finding traces of polypropylene in eight of them.
The results from this research add to the growing evidence that plastics could play a key role in the development of health conditions such as cancer and dementia.
Professor Thais Mauad, lead researcher from the University of Sao Paulo, 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 level of plastic particles may be much higher.
"What is worrying is the capacity of such particles to be internalised by cells and alter how our bodies function."