Opinion: Plastics found in human brains

In February, I wrote a two-part column about PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances). These are the substances that are called “forever chemicals,” and they’re found in almost everything we use, including plastics. They are known to be dangerous to our health, and they’re found particularly in single-use plastics. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down over time. Once they make their way into our bodies, they stay there. They are not sloughed off like dead skin cells or eliminated in any other way. They become part of us.

Blood-brain barrier

Now, new studies show that a great many microplastics and nanoplastics have been found in human brains. These microscopic particles have permeated the blood-brain barrier, and this may have enormous consequences.

The brain is the command center of physiological activity. It receives information from the external environment, including the other parts of our bodies. The information is received as series of electro-chemical impulses which must then be interpreted to determine what, if any, response is required. So, it is imperative that the chemical environment in which the receptor cells operate is strictly regulated. This is the purpose of the blood-brain barrier (BBB).