Generally, I like to keep my posts professional, but this has caused too existential dread for me not to write anything. As a result, this will probably be written more informally, also taking into account the time at which this is being typed.

A recent study published in Nature Medicine details how for the past few years, microplastics (tiny plastic particles) have been accumulating in our bodies. Now, I’m pretty sure we all knew this already, but it’s frightening how much of an issue this could turn out to be. The study included dissections of the brains of those who died in 2016 compared to those who died in 2024. The findings showed a 50% increase in the amount of plastics, correlating with a large increase of plastic pollution worldwide. The total amount? About 7 grams, the same as your average plastic spoon. Although we are not entirely sure of the long-term health effects microplastics may be having on us, the study drew an interesting parallel–the brains whose owners had dementia displayed an increased amounts of microplastics. While nothing is set in stone yet, this is surely a foreboding development.

If microplastics turn out to drastically escalate the chances of developing cancer, for example, it would not bode well for the future of the human race. Already these tiny chips of death have infested our every facet of existence, from the air we breathe, to the water we drink, to the food we eat. There is simply no escaping them anymore, and personally I believe all we can do is to first despair and then try our best to find a solution, as with all problems. I hope I made all reading this more aware of the multidirectional crisis we are in right now, as I think that’s all the help I can do at this point.¹

1. Nihart, A.J., Garcia, M.A., El Hayek, E. et al. Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains. Nat Med (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03453-1 ↩︎