Human brains now contain more microplastics than ever and may cause dementia, new research suggests.
Scientists analysing the brains of people who died in 2024 compared them with those who died in 2016 — and found that the amount of plastic that had accumulated was 50 per cent higher.
They also found higher amounts of tiny plastic particles in the brains of people who died with dementia than people without a dementia diagnosis.
Researchers at the University of New Mexico and others said their findings may be a result of ‘rising global concentrations of environmental plastics’.
To get into the brain, plastics have to cross the blood-brain barrier — a layer of cells surrounding the brain which acts as a filter to prevent the entry of harmful substances.
The most commonly found plastic in the brain — polyethylene — is commonly used to make bags and singe-use water bottles which are frequently dropped as litter and made up 70 per cent of the tiny plastic pieces found.
Other plastics included polypropylene — which is also used for food and drink containers and synthetic rubber.
The Daily Mail, with the Turn the Tide on Plastics and Banish the Bags campaign, has long fought against the growing amount of plastic pollution in the environment.