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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Long-term exposure to multiple air pollutants and risk of Parkinson’s disease: a population-based multipollutant model study
ClearThe role of microplastics exposure in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Researchers reviewed the mechanistic links between microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and the two most common neurodegenerative diseases — Alzheimer's and Parkinson's — finding evidence that oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier disruption, and protein aggregation are key pathways connecting plastic pollution to neurodegeneration.
Neurotoxic effects of exposure to air pollutants
This integrative literature review analyzed 20 studies (2020-2024) on how air pollutants including PM2.5, heavy metals, microplastics, and endocrine disruptors affect brain health and neurodevelopment. Evidence linked multiple air pollutants to neurological disorders, with microplastics emerging as a growing concern alongside established neurotoxicants.
Exposure to local, source-specific ambient air pollution during pregnancy and autism in children: a cohort study from southern Sweden
Researchers tracked air pollution exposure during pregnancy for 40,000 births in Sweden and found that local fine particle pollution — especially from wood burning and road traffic — was associated with higher rates of autism in children, adding to evidence that air quality during pregnancy matters for brain development.
Micro-nanoplastics and Parkinson’s disease: evidence and perspectives
Researchers reviewed growing evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to Parkinson's disease, a degenerative brain condition. Lab studies suggest these particles may accelerate disease by promoting the misfolding of a key brain protein (alpha-synuclein), triggering inflammation, and damaging mitochondria — though large-scale human studies are still needed to establish causation and define safe exposure thresholds.
Microplastic Exposure and the of Parkinson’s Disease
This review examines evidence linking microplastic exposure to Parkinson's disease pathology, noting that animal studies show microplastics can decrease dopaminergic neurons and impair motor function through mechanisms resembling the disease's progression.
Air pollution and publications: historic and emerging trends in research topics - a bibliometric study
Scientists reviewed thousands of research papers to see what we're learning about air pollution and health. They found that researchers are discovering new health problems linked to dirty air, including kidney disease, brain disorders, diabetes, and pregnancy complications. However, there are still big knowledge gaps, especially about how tiny plastic particles in the air might affect our health.
Exposome and unhealthy aging: environmental drivers from air pollution to occupational exposures
Researchers reviewed how environmental exposures over a lifetime — including air pollution, pesticides, heavy metals, and other toxicants — accelerate aging and raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease, in part by crossing the blood-brain barrier and triggering inflammation. Understanding these exposome-aging links is key to developing strategies that protect brain and heart health as populations grow older.
What is the relationship between exposure to environmental pollutants and severe mental disorders? A systematic review on shared biological pathways
Researchers conducted a systematic review of 47 studies examining how environmental pollutants like air particulates affect mental health, finding that exposure increases the risk of depression and psychosis through inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of stress hormone systems in the brain. The findings support a "one health" framework linking environmental pollution to rising rates of severe mental disorders.
Investigating Parkinson’s disease risk across farming activities using data mining and large-scale administrative health data
Researchers analyzed health records from over one million French farm managers and found that those working in pig farming, cattle farming, and crop farming had up to 67% higher risk of Parkinson's disease compared to farmers in lower-risk activities like horse care or gardening, pointing to specific occupational exposures worth investigating.
Plastamination: A Rising Concern for Parkinson's Disease
This paper examined the potential link between widespread plastic pollution and the rising incidence of Parkinson's disease, which is growing faster than expected based on aging populations alone. Researchers highlighted how microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and may trigger neuroinflammation and oxidative stress associated with neurodegeneration. The study suggests that the environmental accumulation of plastic waste, termed 'plastamination,' deserves serious investigation as a possible contributing factor to neurological conditions.
Elevated blood microplastics and their potential association with Parkinson’s disease
Researchers collected blood samples from 21 Parkinson's disease patients and 12 healthy controls and found that patients with Parkinson's had significantly higher levels of microplastics in their blood. The Parkinson's patients also reported more frequent use of disposable plastic products and bottled water, suggesting greater environmental exposure. The study provides early evidence of a potential association between blood microplastic levels and Parkinson's disease, though further research is needed to understand any causal relationship.
Effects of Air Pollution on the Development of Respiratory Diseases among Residents in New Delhi, India
Researchers examined the effects of air pollution on respiratory disease development among residents of New Delhi, India, using a descriptive research design with questionnaires administered to health practitioners. They found that air pollution positively influenced the incidence of respiratory diseases, worsened lung function in people with pre-existing conditions, and increased risks of lung cancer, heart attack, and stroke.
The Invisible Threat: Investigating the Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health and the Environment
Not relevant to microplastics — this study investigates how air pollution (particulate matter PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide) affects human health in Depok, Indonesia, finding links to respiratory and cardiovascular disease.
Unravelling the signaling power of pollutants
Researchers reviewed how environmental pollutants enter the body, cross biological barriers including the blood-brain barrier, and trigger cellular damage through oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation, emphasizing that pollutant-receptor signaling interactions may compromise drug therapies for chronic diseases.
Unanswered questions on the airborne transmission of COVID-19
Researchers reviewed how atmospheric particulate properties — including particle size, chemical composition, electrostatic charge, and moisture content — influence the airborne survival and transmission of SARS-CoV-2, proposing that particulate matter may act as a vehicle amplifying COVID-19 spread and helping explain observed correlations between air pollution and pandemic mortality.
Exploring the epigenome to identify biological links between the urban environment and neurodegenerative disease: an evidence review
This review examines how environmental factors commonly found in cities, such as air pollution and traffic-related contaminants, may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases through changes in gene regulation known as epigenetic modifications. Researchers found that pollutant exposures can alter DNA methylation and other epigenetic markers linked to brain health, though the evidence base remains limited. The study suggests that studying these molecular-level changes could help explain why urban living is associated with higher rates of cognitive decline.
Uncovering the impact of nano- and microplastics on neurodegenerative diseases and strategies to mitigate their damage
Researchers reviewed evidence that micro- and nanoplastics may contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases by triggering brain inflammation, disrupting mitochondria (the cell's power source), and damaging the blood-brain barrier. The review also found that natural compounds like melatonin and probiotics show early promise in reducing some of these harmful effects.
A systematic review of associations between the environment, DNA methylation, and cognition
This systematic review of 14 studies found that DNA methylation statistically mediates the association between environmental exposures (air pollution, heavy metals, pesticides) and cognitive outcomes in 10 of the 14 studies. While the review focuses broadly on environmental epigenetics rather than microplastics specifically, it provides a framework for understanding how pollutant exposures may drive neurodegenerative disease through epigenetic mechanisms.
Anionic nanoplastic contaminants promote Parkinson’s disease–associated α-synuclein aggregation
Researchers discovered that nanoplastics can enter brain cells and accelerate the clumping of alpha-synuclein, a protein whose buildup is the hallmark of Parkinson's disease. In mice, nanoplastics worsened the spread of this protein pathology across brain regions, including the area that controls movement, suggesting a potential link between nanoplastic pollution and Parkinson's disease risk.
Particulate Air Pollution and Risk of Neuropsychiatric Outcomes. What We Breathe, Swallow, and Put on Our Skin Matters
This review appraised evidence linking particulate air pollution to neuropsychiatric outcomes, examining how inhaled, ingested, and dermally absorbed particles including engineered nanoparticles damage the brain through multiple entry portals and inflammatory mechanisms.
Do microplastics play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases? Shared pathophysiological pathways for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
This review explores the emerging connection between microplastic exposure and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, identifying shared pathophysiological pathways. Researchers found that microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and may trigger oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and protein aggregation, which are hallmarks of these conditions. The study suggests that chronic microplastic exposure could be a contributing environmental factor in neurodegeneration, though direct causal evidence in humans is still lacking.
Common Fatal Neurodegenerative Diseases Revisited: Beyond Age, Comorbidities, and Devastating Terminal Neuropathology There Is Hope With Prevention
This opinion article revisits common fatal neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer and Parkinson through the lens of prevention, arguing that beyond aging and comorbidities, modifiable risk factors including environmental exposures offer meaningful opportunities to reduce disease burden at a population level.
Association between air pollution, altitudes, and overweight/obesity in China
Researchers studied the combined effects of air pollution and altitude on obesity rates across China. They found that co-exposure to air pollution and living at certain altitudes had a complex influence on body mass index. The study highlights that maintaining a healthy environment is important for preventing and controlling obesity at a population level.
Review of Urban Air Pollution and Health
This narrative review synthesizes evidence on urban air pollution and its health impacts, covering traditional pollutants like particulate matter and nitrogen oxides as well as emerging contaminants such as microplastics. The study highlights consistent links between air pollution and cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and immune health outcomes, with children, older adults, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups identified as particularly vulnerable.