New study reveals practical lifestyle choices that may protect your brain from harmful microplastics linked to dementia—find out how small changes can make a big impact.
Study: Human microplastic removal: what does the evidence tell us? Image Credit: chayanuphol / Shutterstock.com
In a recent study published in the journal Brain Medicine, researchers identify dietary and lifestyle-based strategies that may reduce human exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs).
MNP exposure and its impact on human health
Microplastics (MNPs) are ubiquitous in the environment, with current estimates indicating that 10-40 million tons are released into nature every year. Following their emission from numerous sources, wind and water can transport MNPs to contaminate food, water, and air, which can then reach humans through various routes.
Previous in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that MNP exposure leads to adverse health outcomes through inflammation, oxidative stress, altered biochemical/energy metabolism, immune dysfunction, impaired cell proliferation, carcinogenicity, disrupted metabolic pathways, and abnormal organ development.
MNP exposure may also directly or indirectly impact various organs, including cardiovascular, nervous, hepatic, immune, gastrointestinal, respiratory, renal, muscular, reproductive, and endocrine systems. For example, several in vivo studies have confirmed that microplastic accumulation in the brain causes learning and memory deficits, neuroinflammation, and lower levels of synaptic proteins.
Can MNPs enter the brain?
A recent Nature Medicine study reported that human brains may contain a significant amount of MNPs, with dementia patients exhibiting three—to five-fold greater MNP accumulation as compared to healthy controls. These brain tissues were found to be more susceptible to MNPs, with an accumulation rate seven to thirty times greater than that of other organs like the liver and kidneys.
In this study, microplastics isolated from human brains were less than 200 nanometers (nm) in size, most of which originated from polyethylene materials. A 50% increase in MNP concentration was observed in the brains of humans who died in 2024 as compared to 2016, which reflects rising environmental MNP levels over the past 50 years.
It remains unclear whether dementia weakens the blood-brain barrier (BBB), thereby allowing more microplastics to enter the brain. Additional research is also needed to determine whether, after entering the brain, MNPs induce microinflammation that prevents the brain from efficiently clearing proteins that could aggravate neurodegeneration.
Sources of MNP exposure
Food and drink
Despite widespread contamination of MNPs in the environment, various strategies can be implemented to reduce the risk of MNP exposure. For example, replacing bottled water with tap water could significantly reduce microplastic exposure from 90,000 to 4,000 particles every year.
Seafood, alcohol, and processed foods are other common dietary sources of MNPs. For example, a recent study highlighted that chicken nuggets contain 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts. Thus, reducing the consumption of these food products may reduce MNP exposure levels.
Avoiding the use of tea bags and plastic food storage containers may also prevent MNP exposure. Canned food products also serve as potential sources of MNPs, as demonstrated by a recent study reporting an over 1,000% rise in urinary bisphenol A (BPA) levels after five days of daily canned food consumption.
Another effective strategy to reduce microplastic consumption could be avoiding heating food in plastic containers. Heating food in plastic containers, particularly in the microwave, may release up to 2.11 billion MNPs between for every square centimeter in just three minutes. Thus, replacing plastic with glass or stainless-steel containers could reduce MNP intake.
Environmental factors
Current estimates indicate that male adults inhale over 62,000 particles each year, demonstrating inhalation's significant role as a route of MNP exposure. Thus, the use of a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter capable of removing up to 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 μm may protect individuals from inhaling airborne microplastics.
Importantly, additional research is needed to quantify the health benefits of HEPA filters in preventing MNP exposure in humans.
Can MNPs be eliminated from the body?
Existing evidence suggests that the human body is equipped with certain mechanisms to remove MNPs from the body. For example, one study found that 16 of 20 study participants had detectable levels of BPA in their sweat, which indicates that sweating could facilitate the removal of BPA and other plastic-derived compounds from the body.
Despite ongoing environmental exposures, the body has mechanisms to clear MNPs overtime through sweat, urine, and feces.”
It remains unclear whether sweating effectively reduces microplastic concentrations in the body. Additional studies are also needed to identify other potential approaches to supporting the elimination of MNPs from the body.
Journal reference:
- Fabiano, N., Luu, B., & Puder, D. (2025) Human microplastic removal: what does the evidence tell us? Brain Medicine. doi:10.61373/bm025c.0020