Microplastics in drinking water may cause memory loss: Study
A recent study found that microplastics—tiny plastic particles now common in the environment—can trigger memory loss and behavior changes in mice with the APOE4 gene, which is already tied to higher Alzheimer's risk.
After just three weeks of drinking water containing polystyrene microplastics, these mice started showing symptoms similar to Alzheimer's.
Mice not exposed to microplastics didn't show any problems
Mice that weren't exposed didn't show any of these problems, pointing to a strong connection between microplastics and brain health.
Professor Jaime Ross admitted, "I'm still really surprised by it," especially since microplastics have already been found in human blood and brain tissue.
Experts like Matthew Campen are calling for more research on how genes like APOE4 interact with plastics, as earlier studies have also hinted at cognitive risks from eating foods contaminated with microplastics.