Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

White matter hyperintensities and microplastics

Researchers aligned ante-mortem and post-mortem brain MRI scans and found large amounts of plastic particles in brain regions showing white matter hyperintensities, which are associated with small vessel disease. Using a novel optical imaging approach, they identified the cellular locations of these plastics in areas with vascular injury and amyloid plaques. The study raises important questions about whether microplastics in the brain contribute to or result from pre-existing vascular damage in people with cognitive impairment.

2024 3 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Abstract TP089: Micro and Nano plastics in Cerebrovascular Health: A systematic Review of Current Evidence and Research Directions

This systematic review examines emerging evidence linking micro- and nanoplastics to cerebrovascular health problems. Studies found plastic particles in human brain blood vessels and arterial plaques, with evidence suggesting they may promote inflammation and oxidative stress that could contribute to stroke risk.

2026 Stroke
Article Tier 2

A novel risk factor for dementia: chronic microplastic exposure

This review examines emerging evidence that chronic microplastic exposure may be a previously overlooked risk factor for dementia. Microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and may promote brain damage through oxidative stress, inflammation, and by accelerating the buildup of amyloid plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease, with studies finding higher microplastic levels in the brains of dementia patients compared to controls.

2025 Frontiers in Neurology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

An Emerging Role of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Vascular Diseases

This review summarizes emerging research on how micro- and nanoplastics may contribute to vascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death worldwide. Studies suggest that these tiny plastic particles can damage blood vessel walls, promote inflammation, and worsen conditions like atherosclerosis. While more research is needed, the evidence points to microplastic exposure as a potential new risk factor for heart and blood vessel diseases.

2024 Life 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the toxic effects of micro-nano-plastics on the human brain and their relationship with the onset of neurological diseases: A narrative review.

This review examined toxic effects of micro and nano-plastics (MNPs) on the human brain, linking MNP exposure to neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and progression toward neurodegenerative diseases. The authors synthesized evidence from cell studies, animal models, and emerging human data.

2025 Ageing research reviews
Article Tier 2

Elucidating the Neurotoxicopathological Impact of Micro and Nanoplastics: Mechanistic Insights Into Oxidative Stress-mediated Neurodegeneration and Implications for Public Health in a Plastic Pervasive Era

Researchers reviewed the growing evidence linking micro- and nanoplastic exposure to neurodegenerative diseases, identifying oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, DNA damage, and protein misfolding as key mechanisms of harm to the brain. The review highlights critical knowledge gaps — especially around chronic low-dose exposure — and calls for better detection tools and public health policies to address the emerging neurological threat from plastic pollution.

2025 Indian Journal of Health Care Medical & Pharmacy Practice
Article Tier 2

Human microplastic removal: what does the evidence tell us?

This commentary reviews the alarming finding that microplastics and nanoplastics have been detected in increasing levels in human brain tissue, particularly in patients with dementia. The authors discuss evidence-based strategies for reducing exposure and improving the body's ability to clear these particles, including dietary changes. While complete avoidance of microplastics is unrealistic, the review suggests practical steps people can take to lower their intake and potential health risks.

2025 Brain medicine : 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics are elevated in femoral atherosclerotic plaques compared with undiseased arteries

Researchers found significantly higher concentrations of microplastics and nanoplastics in diseased arterial plaques from human patients with limb-threatening vascular disease compared to healthy arteries, adding to growing evidence that these particles accumulate in cardiovascular tissue and may play a role in artery disease.

2025 JVS Vascular Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano- and Microplastics in the Brain: An Emerging Threat to Neural Health

This review summarizes evidence that nano- and microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in brain tissue, where they trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and protein clumping linked to diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The findings suggest that plastic particles may also interfere with the brain's ability to heal from injury, though long-term human studies are still lacking.

2025 Nanomaterials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro and Nano-plastic particles: What are they and do they effect cardiovascular health?

This review examines the cardiovascular health effects of micro- and nanoplastics, summarizing evidence that these particles have been detected in human tissues including arterial plaques and may promote endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. The authors call for further clinical and epidemiological research into cardiac risk.

2024 Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of micro- and nanoplastics in cerebrospinal fluid and blood: Implications for brain diseases

Researchers measured micro- and nanoplastic concentrations in paired cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples from patients with neurological conditions. They detected five types of plastic polymers in both fluids, with blood containing significantly higher concentrations than cerebrospinal fluid, and found correlations between plastic levels in the two fluids among patients with neuroimmune and neuroinfectious conditions. The study also identified disrupted metabolic pathways associated with higher plastic concentrations, suggesting a potential link between plastic particle exposure and changes in brain chemistry that warrants further investigation.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Cerebral to SystemicRepresentations of Alzheimer’sPathogenesis Stimulated by Polystyrene Nanoplastics

Researchers exposed both wild-type and APP/PS1 Alzheimer's model mice to environmental levels of polystyrene nanoplastics and measured Alzheimer's-like pathology progression. Nanoplastics exacerbated cognitive decline, microglial activation, and hippocampal neuronal death, particularly in the Alzheimer's model, with systemic inflammatory effects suggesting plastic particles may accelerate neurodegeneration.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Brain under siege: the role of micro and nanoplastics in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress

This review examines emerging evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in nervous tissue, potentially triggering neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Researchers summarized findings showing these particles may act as neurotoxicants that contribute to synaptic dysfunction and pathological changes in brain cells. The study highlights the need for further research into how chronic plastic particle exposure may affect central nervous system health over time.

2026 3 Biotech
Article Tier 2

The effects of micro- and nanoplastics on the central nervous system: A new threat to humanity?

This review summarizes growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and damage the central nervous system through inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of brain chemicals. The authors note that microplastic exposure has been linked to memory and behavior changes in animals and may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, though direct human evidence is still limited.

2024 Toxicology 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Association Between Microplastic Exposure and Cognitive Function Decline

Researchers detected PET and polypropylene microplastics in blood, urine, and feces of study participants and found a significant association between higher microplastic concentrations in biological fluids and greater cognitive function decline, particularly among those with the highest exposure levels.

2025 Alzheimer s & Dementia
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Environmental Medicine 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the Neurotoxic Burden of Micro- and Nanoplastics: From Multi-model Experimental Evidence to Therapeutic Innovation

This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics damage the brain and nervous system, covering evidence from cell studies, animal experiments, and clinical observations. Plastic particles can cross the blood-brain barrier, disrupt the gut-brain connection, cause oxidative stress, and trigger inflammation that leads to memory problems and cognitive decline. The review also discusses potential treatment strategies, making it a useful resource for understanding the brain health risks of plastic exposure.

2025 Molecular Neurobiology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Crossing barriers – tracking micro- and nanoplastic pathways into the human brain

Researchers tracked potential pathways for micro- and nanoplastics to enter the human brain using both laboratory cell experiments and post-mortem human brain tissue. They found nanoplastic remnants inside cells of the choroid plexus, a brain barrier structure, as well as in cerebrospinal fluid immune cells from geriatric patients. These preliminary findings suggest that plastic particles can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate alongside age-related cellular debris in human brain tissue.

2026
Systematic Review Tier 1

Micro- and Nanoplastics as a Potential Risk Factor for Stroke: A Systematic Review

This systematic review assessed the potential link between micro- and nanoplastics and stroke risk. It found that plastic particles have been detected in human blood vessels and arterial plaques, and may contribute to inflammation and blood vessel damage — factors that could increase the risk of stroke.

2026 Journal of Xenobiotics
Article Tier 2

From exposure to neurotoxicity induced by micro-nanoplastics with brain accumulation and cognitive decline

This review synthesizes evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can reach the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier or traveling along nerve pathways, accumulating in regions critical for memory and thinking. Animal studies show that chronic exposure leads to cognitive problems, behavioral changes, and brain changes resembling neurodegenerative diseases, driven by oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruption of the gut-brain connection. The findings raise concern that long-term human exposure to nanoplastics through food and air could contribute to cognitive decline and neurological disease.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro-nanoplastics in the central nervous system: Evidence, mechanisms and perspectives

This review examines evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and cause neurotoxicity through oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and disruption of neurotransmitter signaling. While clinical studies have confirmed the presence of plastic particles in human brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid, the authors note that methodological limitations and inconsistent quality controls currently prevent establishing a definitive causal link to neurological conditions.

2026 Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Crossing barriers – tracking micro- and nanoplastic pathways into the human brain

Researchers tracked potential pathways by which micro- and nanoplastics may enter the human brain, examining both in vitro cell models and post-mortem brain tissue. They found that human monocytes rapidly internalized polystyrene particles into endocytic vesicles and mitochondria, and detected plastic particles in brain tissue samples, providing evidence that nanoplastics may be capable of crossing brain barriers.

2026
Article Tier 2

Weekly Journal Scan: Plastic particles in carotid plaques—inactive debris or predictors of cardiovascular events?

This journal scan summarizes a prospective multicenter study that detected microplastics and nanoplastics in excised carotid artery plaques and found that higher plaque burden of plastic particles was associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. The findings raise the possibility that microplastics in arterial tissue are not inert but biologically active.

2024 European Heart Journal
Article Tier 2

Standardizing methodologies to study microplastics and nanoplastics in cardiovascular diseases

Researchers highlighted that microplastics and nanoplastics are emerging as new risk factors for cardiovascular health, with evidence indicating they can impair blood vessel cell functions and worsen artery-clogging processes. However, the widely varying concentrations of these particles found in heart and vascular tissues point to a lack of standardized research methods. The study calls for unified approaches to better understand how plastic particles affect the cardiovascular system.

2024 Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism 6 citations