Microplastics may accumulate in the brain at higher levels

Findings indicate rising microplastic concentrations in human brains and organs, urging deeper investigation into their health effects and distribution.

Microplastics Block Blood Flow in A Brain, Study Shows

Scientists have found in lab experiments that microplastics can block blood flow in mice brains, raising concerns about human health impacts.

A Single Tea Bag Could Release Billions of Microplastics Into The Body

Microplastics are superpervasive - getting into human tissue, ancient rock, and bottled water - but it may come as a shock to discover just how many of these tiny fragments can lurk inside a single tea bag.

Almost 30% of Microplastics Come From a Hugely Overlooked Source

Every year, billions of vehicles worldwide shed an estimated 6 million tonnes of tire fragments.

Microplastics Found in Blood Clots in Heart, Brain, And Legs

Now, a new study from researchers in China reports finding microplastics in blood clots surgically removed from arteries in the heart and brain, and deep veins in the lower legs.

Plastic can silently enter our body with every breath we take

Research shows inhaled plastic particles deposit in the respiratory system, affecting health based on size, shape, and breathing rate.

Study Finds Microplastics in Every Human Placenta

The scientists used a new analytical tool to measure microplastics present in human placentas, finding the tiny pollutants in all 62 of the placenta samples tested with concentrations ranging from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue.

Rise of microplastics discovered in placentas of Hawaiʻi mothers

The study examined placentas donated by women who delivered in Hawaiʻi from 2006 to 2021. The rise in microplastics found in the placentas of Hawaiʻi mothers corresponds with the skyrocketing levels of global plastic production.

Nanoplastics linked to Parkinson's disease and dementia

Nanoplastics that can leach into water and soil affect a specific protein found in the brain, causing changes linked to Parkinson’s disease and other types of dementia.

Microplastics could trigger severe brain inflammation

South Korean scientists showerd the process through which plastic transforms into secondary microplastics. Their research reveals that continuous consumption of these secondary microplastics acts as neurotoxins in the brain.

The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2020

From the rapid development of vaccines for Covid-19 to the stunning collection of an asteroid sample, these were the biggest science moments of the year.

The Highest-Ever Concentration of Microplastics

According to a recent study, up to 1.9 million pieces of microplastic is located in a 5 cm-thick layer covering just one square metre. It is the highest levels of microplastics yet recorded on the ocean floor.

Opening a Plastic Bottle Releases Microscopic Pollution

It seems we're releasing anywhere around 10 to 30 nanograms of plastic fragments just a few nanometres across for every 3 metres (about 10 feet) of plastic we break apart.

Too Much More Microplastic in the Ocean Than We Realized

If you pulled 1,000 liters of water out of the ocean, how many small bits of plastic would you expect to find? Ten pieces? One hundred pieces? 8.3 million pieces of what researchers call "mini-microplastic" is the finding of an alarming new study.