--- title: "The Weight of All the Plastic in Your Brain May Make You Queasy" description: "Researchers have found that the amount of microplastics in our brains is rising at an alarming rate." date: "2025-02-04" modified: "2025-02-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/brains-microplastics-study" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "brain" - "microplastics" - "plastic pollution" --- # The Weight of All the Plastic in Your Brain May Make You Queasy ![Researchers have found that the amount of microplastics in our brains is rising at an alarming rate.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* Researchers have found that the amount of microplastics in our brains is rising at an alarming rate. As [*The Guardian* reports](), scientists examined postmortem brain tissue from dozens of human bodies between 1997 and 2024. They found that the concentration of microplastics increased consistently over that time period, with a particularly dramatic surge over the last eight years. As detailed in a [study]() published in the journal *Nature Medicine*, a team led by University of New Mexico toxicologist and professor of pharmaceutical sciences Matthew Campen concluded that the average brain now contains the equivalent of one plastic spoon, or seven grams, worth of plastic. And it's not just the brain. Scientists also found significant concentrations of microplastics in the liver and kidney. The research highlights how incredibly pervasive microplastics have become, invading almost every part of our bodies, from [arteries]() and [lungs]() to [hearts]() and [sperm](). Scientists are also only beginning to understand the myriad of effects these particles could have on our health. "These results highlight a critical need to better understand the routes of exposure, uptake and clearance pathways and potential health consequences of plastics in human tissues, particularly in the brain," the team wrote in their paper. Even more worryingly, the scientists concluded that the concentration of microplastics was roughly six times higher in brain samples taken from people who had dementia, indicating a possible link. However, the scientists stopped short of determining any causality. "It’s pretty alarming," Campen [told *The Guardian*]() in August. "There’s much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with." The fragments of plastic themselves are pretty tiny, at less than 200 nanometers, or about 400 times smaller than the width of a human hair. "That's roughly the size of two COVID viruses side by side," Campen [told *USA Today*](). Thanks to their minuscule size, these plastics can cross the blood-brain barrier, which usually allows the brain to protect itself against invasion by unwanted materials. "For those of us who work in the brain, showing that the highest levels (of microplastic) were measured in that organ is profound and a bit concerning," University of Georgia physiology professor Jason Richardson, who was not involved in the study, told *USA Today*. Scientists are now trying to track down how these microplastics get inside our bodies. Campen suggests nanoparticles could be "hijacking their way in through lipids," as he told the broadcaster. "We don’t know that much about the health effects, but the fact is that they are there and they shouldn’t be there, and maybe that’s worrying enough," Utrecht University neurotoxicologist Emma Kasteel, who was not involved in the research, [told *National Geographic*](), adding that she was "quite shocked by the amount of microplastics they find." "Plastic is everywhere," Kasteel said. "Most people cannot imagine a world without plastic... even if we stop producing plastic right now, the world will still be full of microplastics." **More on microplastics:** *[Scientists Say Children Are Getting Sick and Dying in Huge Numbers Due to Chemicals and Plastics]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()