Are Microplastics causing Idiocracy?

[southernhybrid]

The jury is still out, but there is more evidence that plastics may be causing dementia and cognitive decline. There is no escape, as micro plastics are even in our drinking water that we get from the tap, the air, food containers, everything, I say after finishing drinking a bottle of water. I remember the days when water, milk and soft drinks came in glass and were recycled when we returned them for a small deposit we had paid. I can't help thinking of the line from the movie "The Graduate", "The future is in plastics". What did we know? How did we know that we'd not only be destroying the planet, we'd be destroying our brains, and other organs? At least I made it to old age, despite probably being full of micro plastics. Gifted article if anyone wants to read it and become more depressed.

https://wapo.st/4jE4r0p

A new study shows that microplastics have crossed the blood-brain barrier — and that their numbers are rising.

February 3, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. ESTToday at 11:00 a.m. EST

6 min
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Plastic fragments washing ashore on the beach at Oahu, Hawaii. (Eric Dale/Alamy)

By Shannon Osaka
A new study shows that microplastics are making their way into human brains — with potentially dangerous effects on people’s health and mental acuity.
A paper published Monday in Nature Medicine found that the tiny fragments of plastic are passing the blood-brain barrier and into human brains, and the amount of microplastics in the brain appears to be increasing over time. There were 50 percent more fragments in brains analyzed in 2024 than in 2016.


The scientists also examined the brains of 12 deceased patients diagnosed with dementia, and found that they had three to five times more microplastics than normal brains.
“Every time we scratch the surface, it uncovers a whole host of, ‘Oh, is this worse than we thought?’” one of the paper’s lead authors, University of New Mexico toxicology professor Matthew Campen, said in an interview about an earlier version of the paper.


Researchers then obtained additional brain samples going back to 1997 and found that they followed the same trend: more recent samples had much higher numbers of microplastics. They found no correlation with how old the person was when they died.
Campen says that, with just a single study, there is reason to be cautious when interpreting the results. But, he added, the amount of plastics produced globallydoubles every 10 to 15 years, which suggests that humans’ level of exposure has skyrocketed. “To see it go up 50 percent in eight years in human organs … I think that’s perfectly in line with what we’re seeing in the environment.”
The researchers estimated that the average brain studied had around 7 grams of microplastics in it, or a little more than the weight of a plastic spoon. But they cautioned that could be an overestimate, as some other particles in the brain can resemble microplastics.

 

[TSwizzle]

Last week you brought our attention to climate change that was contributing to dementia through wildfire smoke.

I don't doubt that there are a lot of things in the modern world that could be causing a number of health issues but I don't think we will know exactly what is causing which health problems any time soon.

 

[steve_bank]

Yes, the jury is still out on tobacco, alcohol, diet, and sedentary living.

Maybe heart disease is being caused by too much exercise.

Does too much sugary drinks actually cause tooth decay? Who knows.

Don't get me started on viruses, has it really been proven virus and bacteria cause sickness?


I(t is all like a cult......right TSwizzle?

 

[TSwizzle]

Yes, the jury is still out on tobacco, alcohol, diet, and sedentary living.

Maybe heart disease is being caused by too much exercise.

Does too much sugary drinks actually cause tooth decay? Who knows.

Don't get me started on viruses, has it really been proven virus and bacteria cause sickness?


I(t is all like a cult......right TSwizzle?

Campen says that, with just a single study, there is reason to be cautious when interpreting the results.

It is an article about a single study. I would say a lot more research is required before a definite link can be made between microplastics and dementia.

 

[Shadowy Man]

Campen says that, with just a single study, there is reason to be cautious when interpreting the results.

It is an article about a single study. I would say a lot more research is required before a definite link can be made between microplastics and dementia.

As evidenced by the underlined part, Campen agrees with you. So there’s no conflict.

It’s an area of active research and it will be interesting to see more results. But certainly plastic has become ubiquitous and if microplastics can enter our brains it could potentially be a major health issue worthy of being concerned about.

 

[ideologyhunter]

I'm waiting for the shoe to drop on this one, too. But, at least to the limit I understand it, the presence of microplastics will be a tough research subject. It's not like you'd be able to compare a "non-infected" study group to an "infected" group -- apparently we're all rife with them, and so are our pets, the squirrels outside, the guppies in the pond, and the moray eels.
And if there is a connection between the m-p's and, say, dementia, what in the world could change the situation? Plastics don't go away, they just get smaller.
Just reread the quoted material in the OP and wondered if the presence of 3 to 5X the microplastics claimed to exist in dementia patient brains is cause or effect -- could it be that as a brain deteriorates, it allows more of those plastic particles in? That healthier, functional brains with 'normal' circulation are better at prohibiting the build-up that was apparently measured in the diseased brains?
Early onset diabetes and heart disease are more likely to knock our health costs into the stratosphere, with our sugar intake (insane) and obesity rates (calamitous.)

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Count me amongst those who suspect it's a result, not a cause. They keep finding a gazillion things supposedly associated with lifespan but an awful lot of them have a selection bias in that able to do X selects for healthier than average. Or the reverse, that an inability to do X selects for those with health issues.

Don't eat too much, get plenty of exercise, don't consume or inhale noxious substances, avoid exposure to pathogens. Beyond that it looks an awful lot like the cart before the horse. (And I think the pathogen one is actually much bigger than we think. Look over time at how many cancers are attributed to infections--looks a lot like a growth curve to me. And that says to me that the real value is well above the current few percent level. And how many things other than cancer have their origins in infections?)

 

[DBT]

It's hard to see it as being something positive, or even neutral.

 

[TV and credit cards]

Couldn't read the article with giving up personal info. Fuckum.

But...
let the other guy be the evidence. It's no great burden for me to err on the side of caution. Twenty years ago when there was so little information on nutrition, I thought the least I can do when grocery shopping is go for the foods with the shortest list of ingredients I can barely pronounce. A statement rooted in ignorance, I know. Less than a year ago I read this same suggestion in a Cleveland Clinic Wellness newsletter.

I had some seven years ago taken as much plastic out of my life as practical. For cooking and eating, it's all glass, stainless steel, and wood.

I think of all the harmful substances throughout my life because we did not know better. All these things have largely been removed from my thirty year old daughter's and seven year old granddaughter's life and yet I've read cancer rates are rising among younger generations. Is our environment so poisoned?

 

[southernhybrid]

Last week you brought our attention to climate change that was contributing to dementia through wildfire smoke.

I don't doubt that there are a lot of things in the modern world that could be causing a number of health issues but I don't think we will know exactly what is causing which health problems any time soon.

I did say the jury is still out regarding how micro plastics are influencing our brains, but according to the scientists who did this research, this is the first time that we have seen evidence that the microplastics have crossed the blood/brain barrier. I'm not making any conclusions, just reporting what scientists are discovering with their research. Do you have something against science? Just asking since you frequently seem to enjoy bashing the claims of scientific research.

It does makes sense that frequent long term exposure to lots of nasty smoke from wild fires would have a negative impact on one's health, including the brain, heart and lungs, but that's not the topic of this thread.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Count me amongst those who suspect it's a result, not a cause.

On what basis can you draw any conclusion. The impact of microplastics on our body is going to be an important field of study that hopefully determines it isn't a big deal.

 

[DBT]

It's not looking good;

"The toxic effects of MPs on animals and humans include oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and disturbance in metabolic processes [102,126]. While ingestion of MPs can cause physical damage, such as abrasions or irritation in the gastrointestinal tract, this is generally considered less concerning compared to other potential risks [127]. Despite shared MP risks for humans and animals, specific health impacts and toxicity mechanisms can vary among individuals due to differences in exposure routes, physiological responses, metabolism, and excretion abilities of MPs. For instance, in humans, MPs can migrate to various tissues after initial contact with the lungs or digestive system, whereas in animals, the effects of exposure to MP particles can be more directly associated with specific cells and tissues [128]."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000702

 

[barbos]

Could it be that it's not really a cause but an effect though?
I mean people with dementia have brain-blood barrier thinned and it lets all kind of stuff including microplastics to pass?

 

[barbos]

Maybe heart disease is being caused by too much exercise.

Actually it could be, bodybuilders do die from heart problems.

 

[DBT]

Oh, for sure, microplastics are good for us, have some for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including supplements washed down with Bourbon for a better more healthy life.

 

[thebeave]

It would be interesting to see a comparison between the benefits that plastic has brought us, versus the detrimental effects, specifically the microplastics and other plastic waste in the environment. For example, how many lives have been saved by advances in the plastic packaging of food and medicines that prevent contamination and spoilage in ways that can't be easily accomplished with other materials? I suspect the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Maybe microplastics is one of the prices we pay for living a long life in a modern society. Not that we shouldn't try to keep plastic waste to a minimum. Bottled water being one example, one of my pet peeves. Don't even get me started on that!

 

[southernhybrid]

It's not looking good;

"The toxic effects of MPs on animals and humans include oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and disturbance in metabolic processes [102,126]. While ingestion of MPs can cause physical damage, such as abrasions or irritation in the gastrointestinal tract, this is generally considered less concerning compared to other potential risks [127]. Despite shared MP risks for humans and animals, specific health impacts and toxicity mechanisms can vary among individuals due to differences in exposure routes, physiological responses, metabolism, and excretion abilities of MPs. For instance, in humans, MPs can migrate to various tissues after initial contact with the lungs or digestive system, whereas in animals, the effects of exposure to MP particles can be more directly associated with specific cells and tissues [128]."

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405665024000702

I have been wondering if my severe pain from arthritis is at all related to micro plastics. There is no reason that I can think of why it should be as bad as it's become over the past few years. Even Rx. meds used to come in glass containers when I was a young nurse. I know we didn't realize the harm plastics would do to the world, but it's past time for government to do something to cut way back on single use plastics. It's even in tap water and air. Maybe it's too late....

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

It would be interesting to see a comparison between the benefits that plastic has brought us, versus the detrimental effects, specifically the microplastics and other plastic waste in the environment. For example, how many lives have been saved by advances in the plastic packaging of food and medicines that prevent contamination and spoilage in ways that can't be easily accomplished with other materials? I suspect the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Maybe microplastics is one of the prices we pay for living a long life in a modern society. Not that we shouldn't try to keep plastic waste to a minimum. Bottled water being one example, one of my pet peeves. Don't even get me started on that!

First we need to see if there is a price at all... hence the sciencing. Then, if there is a price, how high is it, and what are possible engineering solutions around it. Plastics have made many things much better. But their stubborn persistence makes it hard to get rid of. Kind of like PFAS and artificial sweeteners which are getting into our aquifers.

 

[Shadowy Man]

It would be interesting to see a comparison between the benefits that plastic has brought us, versus the detrimental effects, specifically the microplastics and other plastic waste in the environment. For example, how many lives have been saved by advances in the plastic packaging of food and medicines that prevent contamination and spoilage in ways that can't be easily accomplished with other materials? I suspect the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Maybe microplastics is one of the prices we pay for living a long life in a modern society. Not that we shouldn't try to keep plastic waste to a minimum. Bottled water being one example, one of my pet peeves. Don't even get me started on that!

The use of fossil fuels may be the cause of our extinction (the moderate temperatures in Santa Monica notwithstanding) but surely the use has saved innumerable people’s lives.

I’m not sure how useful this kind of argument is.

 

[Elixir]

It would be interesting to see a comparison between the benefits that plastic has brought us, versus the detrimental effects, specifically the microplastics and other plastic waste in the environment. For example, how many lives have been saved by advances in the plastic packaging of food and medicines that prevent contamination and spoilage in ways that can't be easily accomplished with other materials? I suspect the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Maybe microplastics is one of the prices we pay for living a long life in a modern society. Not that we shouldn't try to keep plastic waste to a minimum. Bottled water being one example, one of my pet peeves. Don't even get me started on that!

The use of fossil fuels may be the cause of our extinction (the moderate temperatures in Santa Monica notwithstanding) but surely the use has saved innumerable people’s lives.

I’m not sure how useful this kind of argument is.

Well, after the extinction of HSS we can all sit around examining the roles played by fossil fuels and its derivatives, both in preserving and enabling the species, and in causing its extinction.