By Susan Morée
University of New Mexico researchers have identified rising concentrations of microscopic plastic in the brain, liver and kidney over the past 20 years.
Matthew Campen, UNM College of Pharmacy distinguished and regents’ professor, and Marcus Garcia, UNM College of Pharmacy fellow, published their findings on Monday in an academic journal called Nature Medicine. Campen said during a press conference on Monday that he and Garcia found the plastic particles, called nanoplastics, that generally result from disposal or breakdown of plastic rising in the liver and brain over the last 20 years. He said the amount of nanoplastics appears to be higher in brain samples taken from individuals who suffered dementia.
But, Campen cautioned, he is not suggesting plastics found in the brain cause the disease. He said the research is too preliminary to determine cause and effect.
Garcia said this research was limited to looking at the frontal cortex of the brain, which is behind the eyebrows and the forehead. He said the next step in the research is to study an entire hemisphere of brain tissue.
Campen said the shape of the nanoplastics were like flakes or shards. He said another research paper detailing the chemical aspects of the nanoplastics will be coming shortly, but he said the samples in the study were highly weathered and degraded, suggesting they came from older plastics.
Garcia said the two scientists and another cohort of scientists at Oklahoma State University are looking at soil samples, plants and meats to try to better understand how the plastics are entering into the food chain.
The research included brains from individuals who died as long ago as 1997, but the amount of plastics found in the brains and livers of individuals who died in 2016 compared to individuals who died in 2024 increased significantly, according to the paper.
“It’s a straight line that very much approximates the trends of plastics doubling every ten to 15 years,” Campen said.