Using Plastic Dishes, Cups, May Increase Parkinson’s Risk: Study

Extremely tiny pieces of plastic could be a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease, according to new research.

Previous research has found that microplastics, which are fragments of plastics that are about the size of a sesame seed, can be detected in the human heart and bloodstream. 

Now, a team from Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina, has linked microplastics’ even-smaller descendant, nanoplastics, with brain damage that contributes to Parkinson’s disease.

Generally, it is understood that microplastics can be inhaled through the air via dust, as small particles broken down from plastic can linger in the air, as well as ingested, be it from produce, meat or even water. The researchers pointed to plastic cutlery, cups, and packing supplies as other possible exposures. 

Publishing their results in the journal Science Translational Medicine last Friday, they found that nanoplastics and a protein already found in the brain can mix and be absorbed into brain cells, possibly damaging them. 

The researchers injected this combination into the brains of adult mice, where they found that it had a toxic effect on the brain’s neurons, cells that are responsible for transmitting messages across the body.

Neurons in the substantia nigra, in the center of the brain, were most impacted. This area houses many of the neurons that produce dopamine. While dopamine is most well known for its association with feelings of pleasure, it is also critical in controlling movement. When cells that produce dopamine are destroyed, movement can become uncontrolled and erratic, leading to the characteristic shakiness, tremors, and balance issues of Parkinson’s. 

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that about 500,000 Americans have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, however, the actual number of cases could be around one million, as many existing cases are not yet diagnosed or have been misdiagnosed.

This is a very early-stage study, and while this research suggests that nanoplastics may play a role in Parkinson’s, much more research needs to be done to establish a concrete link between them. Establishing the presence of nanoplastics in the human brain is incredibly difficult because the technology needed to conclusively prove that nanoplastics are in the brain has not been perfected yet. 

The authors, however, also say that their findings should spur more research into the subject. 

“The technology needed to monitor nanoplastics is still at the earliest possible stages and not ready yet to answer all the questions we have,” said principal investigator Andrew West, Ph.D., in a press release.

“But hopefully efforts in this area will increase rapidly, as we see what these particles can do in our models. If we know what to look out for, we can take the necessary steps to protect ourselves, without compromising all the benefits we reap every day from plastics,” he added.