A new study reveals a concerning discovery – microplastics may be entering our brains through the nose, raising questions about the potential health risks we face from these ubiquitous pollutants.
Microplastics Everywhere
The contemporary society is swamping in plastic garbage that disintegrates into microplastics, and it’s gradually being transformed into a number o… We are all no doubt aware of microplastics, tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size that have wound up almost everywhere — in soil, water and even the air we breathe.
Macroplastics that break down into smaller pieces are classified as microplastics, and they are now found throughout the environment. We are now learning that these little guys may also be getting into our bodies — leaping from the water we drink and the seafood we eat, across our gut lining into our bloodstream.
The Brain Connects in a Way You Might Not Have Imagined
A separate study, which was published by researchers from the Freie Universität Berlin and the University of São Paulo suggests an unexpected way that microplastics can reach our brain – through our noses. Eight of the 15 brains they analyzed from people who’d undergone routine autopsies in São Paulo contained microplastic particles in the olfactory bulb, where smell is processed.
These olfactory nerves extend directly from the inside of the nose to the olfactory bulb, and the researchers speculate that they could have been used by microplastics as a way of getting up into the brain. This would be problematic since the blood-brain barrier — which typically shields the brain from substances that could harm it — may not defend this region effectively.
Conclusion
That microplastics have been shown to contaminate the human brain is alarming, as it raises serious concerns about chronic health effects of this silent pollution. Although the immediate risks are not yet known, the at-home finds illustrate an urgent need for more research and aggressive action to combat this burgeoning global challenge of microplastic contamination. Individually we can help by reducing our consumption of plastic and supporting policies aimed at creating a more sustainable future.
