Tiny plastics in brain, tissues a threat to health

Accumulated nanoplastics in brain capillaries can impair blood flow, reducing oxygen supply to neurons, potentially contributing to cognitive dysfunction and neurological damage.

SS Sekhon

Updated At : 05:40 AM Mar 04, 2025 IST

Inevitable: Nanoplastics in the environment pose toxic threats to living organisms. istock

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For the first time in January 2025, researchers used real-time imaging to track the movement of tiny plastic particles from the bloodstream into the brains of mice. These particles, absorbed by immune cells, accumulated in brain capillaries, leading to neurological abnormalities. Similar plastic particles have already been found in human kidneys, livers and, most alarmingly, brains, though their full impact on human health remains unclear. Toxicologist Matthew Campen from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, estimates that up to 10 grams of plastic could be extracted from a donated human brain.

Classified as microplastics (

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