Nanoplastics related to Parkinson's disease

Nanoplastics interact with a particular protein that is naturally found in the brain, creating changes linked to Parkinson's disease and some types of dementia.

In a Duke-led study appeared Nov. 17 in Science Advances, the researchers reported that the findings create a foundation for a new area of investigation, fueled by the timely impact of environmental factors on human biology.

Improperly disposed plastics have been shown to break into very small pieces and accumulate in water and food supplies, and were found in the blood of most adults in a recent study.

The authors found that nanoparticles of the plastic polystyrene -- typically found in single use items such as disposable drinking cups and cutlery -- attract the accumulation of the protein known as alpha-synuclein.

Source: News-Medical.net