Plastic is more pervasive than ever before, from the Antarctic tundra to our tropical coral reefs. Eight million metric tons of plastic waste enter our oceans each year, most in the form of microplastics.
Microplastics are small plastic particles somewhere between the size of a fraction of the width of a human hair to as large as a pencil eraser. These particles are typically the result of degradation of larger plastics like bottles, plastic utensils, straws, and more. Microplastics have been found in everything from beers to seafood and tea bags, in both tap and bottled water1, in waterways around the world, and even in human stool, saliva, and blood2. And now a new study published in Nature Medicine has shown that these plastic particles have made their way into our brains3.
So how much microplastic do we consume, really? In some ways, this news should come as no surprise. Researchers estimate that we consume somewhere between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles every year through contaminated food, water, and more4. And research has already proven that nanoplastics, which typically measure between 1 nm and 1 μm, are small enough to pass through the blood-brain barrier5.
Despite these facts, the concentration of nanoplastics in the human brain was still surprising to researcher Andrew West, PhD., a professor of pharmacology at Duke University. West worked with researchers at the University of New Mexico on this new study, which revealed that the weight of nanoplastics in some brains could be equivalent to that of a plastic spoon3.
Our Bodies Are Full of Microplastics
In 2021, Italian researchers found the first evidence of microplastics in human placenta6. In 2022, the first evidence of human blood contamination surfaced, with nearly 80 percent of subjects tested by Dutch researchers having some microplastic particles in their bloodstreams7.
While these bits of plastic are small, the health effects of microplastics on humans may be devastating. Microplastics contain toxic chemicals ranging from endocrine-disrupting BPA to carcinogenic PFAS chemicals, also known as ‘forever chemicals.’
A 2023 research review linked the presence of microplastics in the human body to increased risk of DNA damage, organ dysfunction, and metabolic disorder8. Similarly, a 2024 study in Life Sciences linked microplastics to increased risk of cancer9, and experts from the The New England Journal of Medicine found that the rate of heart attack was 4.5 times higher in people with microplastics in the plaque of their neck arteries10.
Nanoplastics specifically have been known to have negative repercussions on hormone health, contributing to reduced testosterone and estrogen, decreased sperm count, and ovarian damage. Nanoplastics in the brain may also contribute to increased risk of Parkinson’s disease11.
There Are More Nanoplastics in Our Brains Than Ever Before
The new study shows that tiny nanoplastics are even more present in our brains than previously thought. Researchers analyzed tissue samples from the bodies of people who died between 2016 and 2024 and found that the average concentration of plastic in their brains had increased by 50 percent over those eight years.
The repercussions of this uptick aren’t immediately clear, though the researchers did find a higher concentration of plastic in the brains of individuals who had been diagnosed with dementia. It wasn’t immediately clear which factor caused the other.
West was quick to note that the amount of plastic in individuals’ brains varied widely. “I don’t think we’re doomed to this, to this fate of having a plastic spoon in the brain,” he told CBS 17, “but I think the levels we saw are concerning enough that we need to understand them a little better.12”
Mitigating the Effects of Microplastics
As recently as a couple of years ago, the question on everyone’s minds was, “Are microplastics harmful?” Now that research has given us conclusive evidence that they are, we can move on to figuring out what to do about this.
Luckily, some research indicates that there are ways to mitigate microplastics’ effects on humans. One 2024 study found that antioxidants and anthocyanins could counteract some of the effects of microplastics on reproductive health13. These compounds are found in brightly-colored fruits and vegetables like berries, grapes, and red cabbage.
But rather than countering the potential negative effects of microplastics, our first course of action should be to reduce exposure as much as possible.
Where Are Microplastics Lurking?
Microplastics are particularly prevalent in fish and shellfish, where they tend to accumulate over time. Researchers from Portland State University found microplastics in a whopping 180 of 182 seafood samples tested14. Rice is also a concerning source of microplastics, with studies finding three to four milligrams of plastic in just one 100-gram serving15.
And it’s not just food that can contain microplastics — we should also be conscious of what we intake through liquids. Some tea bags can contain billions of plastic particles that leach directly into your morning brew16. Plastic water bottles are also a major source of microplastics, with roughly 240,000 plastic particles in a liter of bottled water17. Switching to tap water doesn’t offer a great alternative — a 2017 study found microplastic particles in 94 percent of American tap water samples18.
Finally, plastic packaging can easily contaminate its contents, releasing an unimaginable amount of microplastics and nanoplastics into your meals. A 2023 study found that some containers can release millions to billions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles over months of refrigeration or room-temperature storage. That number only becomes scarier if you put those containers into the microwave — just three minutes of microwaving can release as many as 4.22 million microplastic particles and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles from a single square centimeter of plastic surface area19.
5 Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your Exposure to Microplastics
With this many microplastics to be concerned about, it may be impossible to avoid them entirely in your day-to-day life. However, there are several steps you can take to minimize your exposure, which can make a big difference in the long run.
1. Get Your Omega-3s from Farmed Seafood
To get your quota of omega-3s and minerals without ingesting plastic in the process, consider farmed seafood. Research published in Current Environmental Health Reports in 2018 indicated that farmed seafood may be a lower-risk option, given the shorter lifespan of the animals20. This reduces the opportunity for microplastic intake, not to mention the controlled conditions of the water.
The cooking method you use for your seafood may also reduce the potential for exposure to microplastics in fish. For example, a 2022 study in Science of the Total Environment showed that steaming dried scallops reduced the presence of microplastics21.
2. Wash Your Rice Before Cooking
One simple step you can take to reduce microplastic consumption is to wash your rice. Researchers found that washing the rice before cooking reduced plastic contamination by 20 to 40 percent. And stay away from instant rice as much as possible — the same study found that instant rice had four times as many microplastic particles, averaging about 13 mg per serving15.
3. Switch to Loose Leaf Tea
If you’re a regular tea drinker, it’s worth it to switch to loose leaf tea to avoid ingesting microplastic particles. Alternatively, look for brands that have moved away from plastic-based glues and brand themselves as plastic-free.
4. Boil Your Tap Water
The last thing you want is to ingest microplastics in water. If you’re drinking tap water, boiling before drinking can remove nearly 90 percent of microplastics22. Water filters can also help purify your water supply23. Consider reverse osmosis or ultrafiltration filters to remove as many particles as possible.
5. Move Away from Plastic Packaging
Fat-soluble BPA, phthalates, and microplastics can leach from plastic storage containers into food24. This goes double if you’re storing hot, acidic, or fatty items.
Instead of plastic, choose glass containers for storing dishes like your leftover homemade lasagna. Not only will that reduce your exposure at home, but supporting non-plastic alternatives can have an impact on the amount of plastic being purchased — and ultimately, disposed of in the environment.
Sources:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935121014353
- https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/microplastics-everywhere
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03453-1
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31184127/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10141840/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020322297
- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/microplastics-found-in-human-blood-for-first-time
- https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/microplastics-in-your-brain-duke-researcher-talks-about-findings-of-new-study/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0024320524005277
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/microplastics-in-arteries-linked-to-heart-disease-risk
- https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/nanoplastics-may-help-set-stage-parkinson-s-risk
- https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/microplastics-in-your-brain-duke-researcher-talks-about-findings-of-new-study/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11803829/
- https://www.globalseafood.org/advocate/researchers-detect-microplastics-in-the-muscle-tissues-of-oregon-seafood/
- https://stories.uq.edu.au/news/2021/instant-rice-packs-a-plastic-punchinstant-rice-packs-a-plastic-punch/index.html
- https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/-1345830290613.html?detid=1345940427095
- https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2300582121
- https://orbmedia.org/invisibles-final-report
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c01942
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6132564/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969722028844
- https://www.livescience.com/health/boiling-tap-water-can-remove-nearly-90-percent-of-microplastics-new-study-finds
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00368504231176399
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2685869/
