---
title: "Micro- and Nanoplastics Detected in Human Brain Tissue Linked to Microvascular Deposits"
id: "biorxiv-9-visualizing-micro-nanoplastics-in-the-human-brain-early-evidence-for-roles-in"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/biorxiv-9-visualizing-micro-nanoplastics-in-the-human-brain-early-evidence-for-roles-in"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Neurology"
source_name: "bioRxiv (Biomedical Preprints)"
source_url: "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751595v1?rss=1"
published_at: "2026-09-21T11:56:41.000Z"
evidence_level: "Verified Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Micro- and Nanoplastics Detected in Human Brain Tissue Linked to Microvascular Deposits
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/biorxiv-9-visualizing-micro-nanoplastics-in-the-human-brain-early-evidence-for-roles-in
- **Specialty:** [Neurology](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/neurology.md)
- **Primary Source:** bioRxiv (Biomedical Preprints)
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751595v1?rss=1)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-21T11:56:41.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Verified Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- Environmental contamination with synthetic polymers leads to the presence of **micro- and nanoplastics** in human tissues; this study investigates whether such particles are present in human brain samples and whether they associate with microvascular pathology. - The authors prepared **plastics-enriched pellets** from human brain tissue and analyzed them with pyrolysis gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (**py-GC/MS**), electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. - Py-GC/MS analysis reported the presence of 10 different plastics in brain-derived pellets. Calibration standards of plastics showed fluorescence for 12 plastics. - Hyperspectral fluorescence profiles were acquired for industry-sourced single-species plastics including **polyethylene**, **polypropylene**, and **polystyrene**; synthetic polymers in suspension exhibited detectable fluorescence. - Fluorescent particles were found in all brain-derived pellets. Abundant particles with emission spectra similar to **polyethylene** and **polypropylene** were observed lining the walls of arterioles and venules in histologic sections. - These fluorescent particles coincided spatially with previously observed glossy deposits in white matter, supporting the interpretation that both features represent plastics in tissue sections. - Controls included chemical analysis of brain storage buffer (no detectable plastics), imaging of water-only samples, and imaging of slide areas lacking tissue. - The findings demonstrate that synthetic polymers can be detected by fluorescence and that particles with matching spectral properties appear in histologic brain sections, enabling future investigation of correlations between plastics and pathology. - This report is a preprint and has not been peer-reviewed. The authors declared no competing interests. Funders included NIH grants, the Beckman Institute at Caltech, and a named endowment.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
Visualizing micro- nanoplastics in the human brain: Early evidence for roles in microvascular pathology | bioRxiv Skip to main content New Results Visualizing micro- nanoplastics in the human brain: Early evidence for roles in microvascular pathology View ORCID Profile Elaine L Bearer , View ORCID Profile Marcus Garcia , View ORCID Profile Laurissa Barela , View ORCID Profile Andres Collazo , Cathleen F Martinez , View ORCID Profile Taylor W Uselman , View ORCID Profile Gary Rosenberg doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.14.751595 Elaine L Bearer 1 University of New Mexico; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Elaine L Bearer For correspondence: elaine.bearer{at}gmail.com Marcus Garcia 1 University of New Mexico; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Marcus Garcia Laurissa Barela 1 University of New Mexico; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Laurissa Barela Andres Collazo 2 California Institute of Technology; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Andres Collazo Cathleen F Martinez 1 University of New Mexico; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Taylor W Uselman 3 University of New Mexico School of Medicine Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Taylor W Uselman Gary Rosenberg 1 University of New Mexico; Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Gary Rosenberg Abstract Info/History Metrics Preview PDF Abstract Our environment has become progressively contaminated with non-biological materials, especially synthetic carbon polymers, plastics. Unsurprisingly some of these make it into the human body as detected by chemical analyses, yet it is unknown whether they cause harm or are innocent bystanders. Building on our observations of glossy deposits and unusual non-biological fluorescent particles in blood vessels, we aimed to determine whether these objects represented plastics. To do this we prepared plastics-enriched pellets from brain and subjected them to pyrolysis gas-chromatography/mass spectroscopy (py-GC/MS), electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Py-GC/MS confirmed the presence of 10 different plastics. Contents of pellets were examined by thin-section EM. We then used laser scanning confocal microscopy to acquire hyperspectral profiles of each type of plastic in suspensions. We found fluorescent particles in all pellets from brains. All 12 plastics in the calibration standard fluoresced. We obtained hyperspectral profiles of single species plastics from industry: Polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene. Controls included chemical analysis of brain storage buffer, which had no detectable plastics; and imaging water only and areas on slides lacking tissue. Abundant particles with emission profiles similar to polyethylene and polypropylene decorated the walls of both arterioles and venules. These particles were coincident with glossy deposits we first observed in white matter, suggesting that both features represent plastics. In summary our results demonstrate that synthetic polymers exhibit detectable fluorescence, and particles with similar spectral properties are visible in histologic sections. This opens the door to investigating correlations between plastics and pathology. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Funder Information Declared National Institutes of Health, https://ror.org/01cwqze88 , P30AG08404 , P20AG068077 , F99NS139535 Beckman Institute at Caltech , N/A Harvey Family Endowment , N/A Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license . Back to top Previous Next Posted September 21, 2026. Download PDF Email Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv. NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article. Your Email * Your Name * Send To * Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas. 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Share Visualizing micro- nanoplastics in the human brain: Early evidence for roles in microvascular pathology Elaine L Bearer , Marcus Garcia , Laurissa Barela , Andres Collazo , Cathleen F Martinez , Taylor W Uselman , Gary Rosenberg bioRxiv 2026.09.14.751595; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.14.751595 Share This Article: Copy Citation Tools Visualizing micro- nanoplastics in the human brain: Early evidence for roles in microvascular pathology Elaine L Bearer , Marcus Garcia , Laurissa Barela , Andres Collazo , Cathleen F Martinez , Taylor W Uselman , Gary Rosenberg bioRxiv 2026.09.14.751595; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.09.14.751595 Citation Manager Formats BibTeX Bookends EasyBib EndNote (tagged) EndNote 8 (xml) Medlars Mendeley Papers RefWorks Tagged Ref Manager RIS Zotero Tweet Widget Facebook Like Google Plus One Subject Areas All Articles Animal Behavior and Cognition (8013) Biochemistry (18743) Bioengineering (14890) Bioinformatics (44438) Biophysics (22604) Cancer Biology (19727) Cell Biology (26904) Clinical Trials (138) Developmental Biology (13966) Ecology (21006) Epidemiology (2067) Evolutionary Biology (25457) Genetics (16167) Genomics (23510) Immunology (18712) Microbiology (42520) Molecular Biology (18062) Neuroscience (93467) Paleontology (700) Pathology (2979) Pharmacology and Toxicology (5097) Physiology (8114) Plant Biology (16000) Scientific Communication and Education (2095) Synthetic Biology (4560) Systems Biology (10235) Zoology (2391)
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