Researchers have found that a shocking amount of microplastics are ending up in our brains.
As detailed in a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper, scientists found that all 91 brain samples they examined, taken from autopsied bodies earlier this year, contained microplastics.
Worse yet, the samples contained ten to 20 times more microplastics than liver and kidney samples collected from the same bodies, suggesting human grey matter is a major dumping ground for the tiny particulates, making it "one of the most plastic-polluted tissues yet sampled," according to the paper.
The numbers don't bode well: 24 of the brain samples measured an average of 0.5 percent plastic by weight.
Lead author and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico Matthew Campen was taken aback by the results.
"It’s pretty alarming," he told The Guardian. "There’s much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with."
The human brain can now be added to an already lengthy list of body parts that have been found to be riddled with plastics.
Scientists have already found microplastics in human testicles, penises, semen, arteries, hearts, and lungs. Just last month, a study found microplastics inside bone marrow.
While how exactly these tiny shards affect our overall health remains mysterious, researchers have plenty of concerns. Previous studies have linked the presence of microplastics with fertility issues, disrupted immune systems, impaired memory, and even a wave of cancer in young people.
Some samples examined by Campen and his colleagues from people who had died of dementia, including Alzheimer's contained up to ten times more plastic by weight suggesting a worrying link as well.
And the situation is bound to get worse. The researchers also found that the rise in microplastics in samples taken between now and 2016 was in line with the increasing concentration of plastics found in the environment.
"You can draw a line — it’s increasing over time," Campen told The Guardian. "It’s consistent with what you’re seeing in the environment."
In short, in the presence of compounding and confounding evidence, scientists are calling for action when it comes to plastic pollution.
"It is now imperative to declare a global emergency," Cukurova University microplastics expert Sedat Gündoğdu told The Guardian.
More on microplastics: Microplastics Likely Causing Wave of Cancer in Young People
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