2023-09-21 09:24:15
Lately, more and more studies are warning regarding the danger of microplastics for our brain health.
They are everywhere. In water, in food, in the air and even on what we touch. Microplastics have long invaded our daily lives, and their levels in our bodies continue to increase. Yet, ” research into the health effects of microplastics, particularly in mammals, is still very limited », calls out Jaime Ross, professor at the University of Rhode Island (United States) and author of a worrying new study (1) on the impact of microplastics on our health, particularly our brain. Indeed, with her scientific team, she was able to observe, through analyzes carried out on mice, that ingestion of microplastics led to behavioral changes in animals, particularly in older subjects. To understand the mechanism, researchers studied the extent of contamination of the body by microplastics by dissecting several important organs, including the brain, liver, kidneys,from the gastro-intestinal tractheart, spleen and lungs.
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Microplastics: they are everywhere
Microplastics penetrate our brains
The researchers found that the particles began to accumulate in all organs, including the brain. However, the blood-brain barrier (which filters and restricts the passage of substances contained in the blood to the brain) is known to be extremely difficult to cross, because it constitutes a protective mechanism, particularly once morest viruses and bacteria. However, it seems that microplastics manage to cross it and therefore penetrate deep into brain tissue. But that’s not the only bad news. The scientific team also noticed that this brain infiltration can lead to a decrease in glial fibrillary acidic protein (called “GFAP”). Gold, this protein plays a role in many cellular processes in the brain. « Decreased GFAP has been associated with the early stages of some neurodegenerative diseases, including in experiments with mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.as well as depression », explains Professor Ross. This discovery adds to research which already demonstrates that microplastics participate in the genesis of an inflammatory environment, a source of degenerative pathologies.
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We are absorbing more and more plastic!
Altered microplastics even worse
Another study (2), this time from Korea, also looked at the impact of microplastics on brain health. If it confirms that these microparticles succeed in crossing the brain barrier in mice (in vivo), but also in humans (in vitro), it also highlights the greater toxicity of so-called “altered” microplastics, particularly for our brain. Molecular alteration of “virgin” or “new” microplastics occurs upon contact with the external environment (sunlight, wind, bad weather). These altered microplastics would present “ increased surface area and altered chemical bonds, two properties that affect their reactivities “. At the level of the brain, this results in the disruption of proteins involved in its proper functioning and, ultimately, in increased inflammation and death of brain cells much greater than that generated by unaltered microplastics (tested at equivalent doses).
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Microplastics do not spare the fetus
Microwaves and plastic don’t mix.
A recent American study also warns us once morest alteration of plastics intended for the manufacture of food containers heated in the microwave. Indeed, the team from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (United States) carried out experiments using baby food containers made from polypropylene and polyethylene, two materials authorized by the regulatory authorities of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as well as in the European Union. After being microwaved for three minutes in a 1,000-watt oven, different liquids in these containers were analyzed for the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics (even smaller particles). The researchers calculated that a single square centimeter of these containers might release approximately 4.22 million microplastic particles and 2.11 billion nanoplastic particles during this very short period of time.
To understand the possible impact of their ingestion on health, researchers exposed embryonic kidney cells (in vitro) to concentrations of plastic particles similar to those released from the containers for several days. The team thus observed that 77% of the exposed kidney cells were destroyed. While this does not necessarily mean that our kidneys would be directly exposed to such concentrations, it does give us insight into the potential toxicity of these microplastics and nanoplastics, especially in children.
This research clearly illustrates the frequent time gap between the safety of regulatory standards and advances in research in the field of environmental health, the precautionary principle often being reduced to the minimum in the face of the immediate economic interests of the industry. agri-food. In doubt, it is important to choose your containers wisely and pay attention to the packaging of your food, particularly if they are intended to be reheated. The use of glass containers to warm our food, including baby bottles, is recommended.
Of course, other measures, on a larger scale, both ecologically and health-wise, must be put in place by both individuals and governments to protect us from pollution due to the continued growth of microplastics.
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Nanoparticles: not seen, not taken, that’s enough!
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