2023-05-05 23:22:00
Invisible to the naked eye, 1㎛ (micrometer) size nanoplastics were detected in the brain just two hours after entering the mouth.
On the 4th, the University of Vienna, Austria, on its official Twitter account, revealed the results of a terrifying experiment in which nanoplastics easily pass through the blood-brain barrier and quickly penetrate the brain.
The research team started experiments using polystyrene, which is widely used in styrofoam, food containers, insulation materials, and cushions, and mice. A 1 μm-sized piece of polystyrene was placed in the mouth of a mouse and examined how far it moved after 24 hours.
As a result, the plastic particles reached the mice’s brains after just two hours. “Blood flowing into the brain must first pass through the blood-brain barrier,” said an official in charge of the experiment.
The official said, “Very small nanoplastic particles passed the blood-brain barrier much easier than scholars thought.” “When nanoplastics invade the brain, they can cause neuroinflammation as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, which is very dangerous. do,” he added.
The research team thought that it would be impossible to apply the results of this experiment to humans because the body of a mouse is smaller than that of a human and the tissue structure is different. Nevertheless, it gave meaning to the fear of nanoplastics because it made them feel enough. Previous experiments had already shown that plastic fragments easily pass through natural filters in animals, similar to the blood-brain barrier.
“This means that natural devices that protect important organs of animals such as the brain are virtually useless in front of nanoplastics,” said an official in charge of the experiment. It is best to reduce plastic waste rather than expecting a bet.”
Microplastics, including nanoplastics, occur in large quantities because plastic products made for human convenience are not properly collected. Small plastic particles have been confirmed to have adverse effects such as damaging cells and interfering with the growth of plants, and there are reports that they have adverse effects on the human body.
Reporter Yoonseo Lee [email protected]
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