The study has highlighted the unsettling prospect that microplastics are getting through the immunological barrier separating the brain from the rest of the body.
Numerous studies are being conducted to assess the degree of the harm microplastics pose to our systems because they are already causing health concerns. An even worse picture has been portrayed by a recent study. Microplastics that were ingested through drinking water collected in practically every area of the mice’s bodies, including the brain, according to an experiment.
Even the behavior of these mice had abnormalities that were comparable to dementia in humans.
The discovery has raised the unsettling possibility that microplastics are piercing the immunological barrier separating the brain from the rest of the body and nervous system.
According to ScienceAlert, the study was conducted by specialists at the University of Rhode Island and published in the International Journal of Molecular Science.
“This struck us as interesting. According to neurologist Jaime Ross, who was quoted on the University of Rhode Island website, “These weren’t huge doses of microplastics, but in just a short period of time, we detected these alterations.
“Since no one really knows how long these microplastics persist in the body, one of the issues we want to examine is what happens as you age. Do these microplastics make you more prone to systemic inflammation as you get older? Can they be eliminated by your body as quickly? Do your cells react to these toxins differently?
Although it is not always the case that findings from studies on mice would directly indicate potential impacts on people, such a study is frequently the first step in determining how people are affected.
In this study, mice of all ages were given water that had been infused with luminous polystyrene microplastics. To create a baseline, some of the mice received regular water.
The experiment lasted three weeks. In open field testing, the mice’s behavior was continuously observed. These exams promoted curiosity-driven behavior.
According to reports, the mice who drank water polluted with microplastic for three weeks displayed noticeable behavioral abnormalities when compared to the control group of mice, which was given access to regular water to drink. These modifications appeared to be more pronounced in older mice.
Every mouse tissue that the scientists looked at after three weeks had microplastics, it was discovered. The liver, kidney, heart, spleen, lungs, and, most significantly, the brain were among the organs. Even the excretions of the mice included microplastics.
According to ScienceAlert, the latest study confirmed similar findings from earlier studies that had been conducted. An international team of specialists conducted one of these studies earlier this year, while Taiwanese experts conducted the other earlier this past year.
