Are microplastics really harmful to the human brain and health?

The impact of microplastics and even nanoplastics on human health is still not fully understood. However, scientists are actively researching to shed light on this relatively new field.

Tiny pieces of plastic called microplastics have been found to accumulate in the human brain, but experts say there is not yet enough evidence to say whether they pose a risk to human health.

These nearly invisible plastic particles have been found everywhere, from mountaintops to ocean floors, in the air we breathe and in the food we consume.

They have also been found to migrate throughout the human body, including the lungs, heart, placenta, and even cross the blood-brain barrier.

The growing presence of microplastics has become a central issue in efforts to build the first global treaty on plastic pollution.

The impact of microplastics and even nanoplastics (smaller plastic particles) on human health is still not fully understood. However, scientists are actively working to shed light on this relatively new field.

Microplastics found in human brain tissue

The most prominent study on microplastics in the brain was published in the journal Nature Medicine this past February.

Scientists analyzed the brain tissue of 28 people who died in 2016 and 24 people who died in 2024 in the state of New Mexico (USA), and found that the amount of microplastics in the tissue samples increased over time.

The study attracted global attention when American toxicologist Dr. Matthew Campen, who led the research team, told the media that the amount of microplastics found in the brain was equivalent to a standard plastic spoon for each person.

Campen also told Nature that the team was able to extract about 10 grams of plastic from a donated human brain, which is equivalent to an unused crayon. Scientists warn against this.

However, many experts have called for caution with the conclusions from this small-scale study.

Scientists analyzed the brain tissue of 28 people who died in 2016 and 24 people who died in 2024 in the state of New Mexico (USA), and found that the amount of microplastics in the tissue samples increased over time. (Source: SCMP)

Dr Theodore Henry, a toxicologist at Heriot-Watt University (Scotland), commented: “Although this is an interesting finding, it needs to be interpreted with caution and awaits independent verification.”

“Currently, speculation about the potential health effects of plastic particles far outweighs the available scientific evidence,” he added.

Chemistry professor Oliver Jones at RMIT University (Australia) also agrees that there is not enough data to draw firm conclusions, even for the New Mexico region alone, let alone globally.

He said it was unlikely that the human brain contained more microplastics than raw sewage. In addition, the people in the study had no serious health problems before they died, and the researchers themselves admitted that there was insufficient evidence to show that microplastics were harmful.

“Even if — and this is a big ‘if’ — there really are microplastics in the human brain, there is no evidence yet that they cause harm,” he said.

Additionally, the neuroscience news site The Transmitter found some duplicate images in the study, but experts said this did not affect the main finding.

The evidence is not yet strong enough.

Most studies on the effects of microplastics on human health are currently observational, meaning they cannot prove cause and effect.

One such study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2024, found that microplastics accumulating in blood vessels were associated with a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in people with atherosclerosis. Several experiments were also conducted on mice.

Research published in Science Advances in January this year found microplastics in mouse brains.

Chinese scientists say microplastics can cause rare blood clots in the brains of mice by interfering with cells, but they also stress that mice are very different from humans.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in a 2022 assessment also concluded that: “There is insufficient evidence to clearly determine the risks of microplastics to human health.”

Action needed before it's too late

However, many health experts call for the precautionary principle – that is, taking action even in the absence of absolute evidence, if the potential risk is great enough.

“Policy decisions cannot wait until full data are available,” says a new report released this week by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

“By acting now to reduce exposure, improve risk assessment methods, and prioritize vulnerable populations, we can address this urgent problem before it escalates into a full-blown public health crisis,” the report stressed.

To date, the amount of plastic the world produces has doubled since 2000 and is expected to triple by 2060 without intervention./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/vi-nhua-co-thuc-su-gay-hai-cho-nao-bo-va-suc-khoe-con-nguoi-post1054385.vnp