University of New Mexico Research Team
Highest Accumulation in Brain... Up to 30 Times More Than Other Organs
"99.5% in Brain, Rest Are Plastics"
A study has revealed that the brain is the organ where the most microplastics accumulate after entering the human body. After years of dissecting corpses, it was found that the brain contained up to 30 times more microplastics compared to other organs.
On the 1st (local time), US media outlet The Hill and others reported that a research team led by Matthew Campen, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico, analyzed autopsy samples of the liver, kidneys, and prefrontal cortex of the brain collected from the Albuquerque coroner's office in New Mexico between 2016 and 2024, resulting in these findings.
The research team analyzed 92 corpses that underwent forensic autopsy over eight years. The results confirmed an increase in microplastic levels in all organs, with the amount of microplastics found in the brain increasing by about 50% during this period. The quantity of microplastics found in the brain was at least 7 times and up to 30 times higher than in other organs such as the liver and kidneys.
Professor Campen explained, "The concentration of microplastics found in the brain tissue of healthy individuals with an average age of 45 to 50 years is 4,800 μg (micrograms) per gram," which accounts for about 0.5% of the brain's weight. He added, "Compared to brain samples autopsied in 2016, the 2024 samples show about a 50% higher level," and said, "Today, 99.5% of our brain is brain tissue, and the rest is plastic."
According to the study, the microplastics found in brain tissue were smaller in size than those found in other organs. Professor Campen explained, "The brain attracts very small nanostructures measuring 100 to 200 nm in length, while larger particles about 1 to 5 μm in length appear to have entered the liver and kidneys."
The research team identified 'fat' as the cause of microplastic particle accumulation in the brain. Plastics tend to bind with fats or lipids and enter organs through the bloodstream along with fats consumed by humans. The human brain is composed of about 60% fat by weight and requires more fat than any other organ. This explains why more microplastics were found in the brain, according to the research team.
The team also claimed that the increase of microplastics in the brain is linked to the rising incidence of dementia. Professor Campen stated, "We examined 12 brain samples from people who died of dementia, including Alzheimer's, and found they contained 10 times more plastic than healthy brains." However, some experts pointed out that while this study shows a quantitative increase in microplastics, it does not provide information on brain damage caused by them.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in South Korea released a survey result in 2020 stating that adults ingest 3.6 microplastic particles per day and 1,312 particles annually through seafood. Additionally, in 2019, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the world's largest private nature conservation organization, published a study estimating that the microplastics people routinely consume amount to about 5 grams per week, equivalent to the weight of one credit card. However, this estimate has not been universally accepted by the scientific community.
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