Nanoplastics Linked to Changes in Brain Proteins Associated With Parkinson's, Study Finds

Science Alert
HEALTH
26 November 2023
By DAVID NIELD

Plastics are affecting our environment and possibly even our health in troubling ways – and the tiniest pieces have now been linked to changes in brain proteins associated with certain types of dementia, including Parkinson's disease.

A team led by researchers from Duke University in the US looked at the relationship between nanoplastics broken down from polystyrene and the protein alpha-synuclein… Parkinson's disease has been called the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world," says neurobiologist and senior author Andrew West from Duke University.

There's evidence here that plastic interferes with the natural cleaning process in neurons, which is something that again points to Parkinson's and diseases like it.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we should note these are still early findings, and no tests have been done in humans yet… What this study shows is that nanoplastics have an effect on the levels of the protein. The next step is to take a closer look… What we know already is that most of us are already carrying around microscopic particles of plastic in our blood. Figuring out how that is impacting our health is going to be a crucial area of research in the years to come.

The research has been published in Science Advances.
https://www.sciencealert.com/nanoplastics-linked-to-changes-in-brain-proteins-associated-with-parkinsons-study-finds

The ubiquitous presence of plastic packaging in modern societies and the transition of the packaging and products into nanoplastics is shaping up to become a worldwide health threat to humans let alone to the multitude of animal species that are ingesting the same plastics.