microplastics

Scientists fear tiny bits called microplastics could harm small creatures at the base of the food chain, such as by blocking their digestive tracts.

Scientific American 2010

Scientists fear tiny bits called microplastics could harm small creatures at the base of the food chain, such as by blocking their digestive tracts.

Scientific American 2010

Tiny fragments of 5 mm or less are called "microplastics" and are particularly dangerous as they can absorb toxic chemicals which are transported to marine animals when ingested.

PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories PhysOrg Team 2010

Tiny fragments of 5 mm or less are called "microplastics" and are particularly dangerous as they can absorb toxic chemicals which are transported to marine animals when ingested.

PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

Tiny fragments of 5 mm or less are called "microplastics" and are particularly dangerous as they can absorb toxic chemicals which are transported to marine animals when ingested.

PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

Tiny fragments of 5 mm or less are called "microplastics" and are particularly dangerous as they can absorb toxic chemicals which are transported to marine animals when ingested.

PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

Tiny fragments of 5 mm or less are called "microplastics" and are particularly dangerous as they can absorb toxic chemicals which are transported to marine animals when ingested.

PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

Tiny fragments of 5 mm or less are called "microplastics" and are particularly dangerous as they can absorb toxic chemicals which are transported to marine animals when ingested.

Science Blog BJS 2010

Tiny fragments of 5 mm or less are called "microplastics" and are particularly dangerous as they can absorb toxic chemicals which are transported to marine animals when ingested.

PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010

Tiny fragments of 5 mm or less are called "microplastics" and are particularly dangerous as they can absorb toxic chemicals which are transported to marine animals when ingested.

Science Blog BJS 2010

Once it is smaller than 5 millimetres in diameter, we call these microplastics.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

In addition, research on newborn mice found that microplastics mess up the way microglia prune connections between neurons — a process that normally helps shape the developing brain and make it more efficient.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

However, those that had eaten a solution of sucrose laced with microplastics for several days had trouble learning.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

The conclusion that such behavioural changes are caused by consuming microplastics is strengthened when you look inside the animals’ brains.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

“We had this assumption that the blood-brain barrier stopped everything, but the more we look, the more we find [microplastics] in brain tissue,” says Gallowayß.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

We do however, have animal studies to illuminate how microplastics affect the brain and behaviour of other species.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

After mopping up microplastics, microglia also set off inflammation in surrounding neurons, damaging them.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

Plus, there is an emerging picture of evidence about the volume of microplastics in the human brain – with some data pointing to a link between higher levels and a greater risk of neurological conditions, such as dementia.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

For example, when researchers dumped large amounts of microplastics – they called it “a year exposure” – on nerve cells, they all died.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025

But crabs exposed to microplastics seemed confused: they would often choose the worse option.

What are microplastics doing to your brain? We’re starting to find out Marta Zaraska 2025