Science
Related: About this forumDisturbing Discovery: Human Brains Are Filling Up With Microplastics, and It May Be Causing Dementia
https://scitechdaily.com/disturbing-discovery-human-brains-are-filling-up-with-microplastics-and-it-may-be-causing-dementia/
Researchers at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences have found microplastics in human brains at significantly higher concentrations than in other organs. Their study also reveals that plastic accumulation in the brain has increased by 50% over the past eight years.
Microplasticsminute fragments of degraded polymers present in air, water, and soilhave been accumulating in the human body for the past half-century. These particles have been detected in various organs, including the liver, kidneys, placenta, and testes.
Now, University of New Mexico Health Sciences researchers have found microplastics in human brains, and at much higher concentrations than in other organs. Worse, the plastic accumulation appears to be growing over time, having increased by 50% over just the past eight years.
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bronxiteforever
(10,120 posts)The oil industry will be the death of us all.
Lulu KC
(7,373 posts)Bon voyage, us!
Progressive dog
(7,428 posts)dementia incidence has declined if any dEmentia is caused by plastics in the brain.
Conclusion: Dementia incidence declined over the past four decades, but AD incidence did not decline. Further research, especially from non-Western countries, is needed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the trends in dementia and AD incidence over time.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31220336/
erronis
(18,162 posts)Thanks for that reference. I do follow PubMed (used to work on it).
pscot
(21,044 posts)if this is uniformly distributed. Are people in some regions more vulnerable than others? Are there "safe"zones?
Javaman
(63,444 posts)we were going through the blood brain barrier.
it didn't a huge leap of faith to connect that with dementia, autism and the rise of sociopathy in our society.
NNadir
(35,307 posts)erronis
(18,162 posts)and removing all restrictions on lead in paints, etc. Hell, why not have radium faces on our digital watches, too?
NJCher
(39,220 posts)I grow about 70% of my own produce and I carefully process water. If you boil the water, you reduce the microplastics by about 98%, I think the figure I read said.
The microplastics still might get into my produce through watering, but I think I cut it back substantially.