Environmental Health Perspectives: Microplastics ingested with food and water can spread from the gut to the brain

Microplastics are often found in the environment, including soil, food and water.

The authors of the study, the results of which were published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, tried to find out how different types of microplastics affect the body organs of mice.

To do this, the scientists tried to replicate the consumption of microplastics in quantities similar to the effects on humans. Mice were exposed to different amounts of polystyrene or a mixture of polymer microspheres by oral gastric feeding.

After feeding the mice the microplastics, the scientists examined blood serum, brain, liver, kidney and colon tissue to determine the presence of microplastics.

The researchers found microplastic in many organs, including the brain, liver and kidneys of the exposed mice. These results show how microplastic is able to spread to other, distant parts of the body.

They found that specific metabolic changes occur in the colon, liver and brain as a result of microplastic exposure.

The scientists also found that these changes depended on how much exposure the mice were exposed to and what type of microplastic they were exposed to.

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