The magnificent human brain is the most complex machine in the known universe. It’s more than the sum of its 86 billion neurons. Forget your outer appearance and beating heart. Our brain and mind define us.

Now throw a bunch of microplastics in it.

That, unfortunately, is what humanity is doing at an ever-increasing pace. A new study by scientists at the University of New Mexico found extraordinarily high concentrations of microplastics in human brain tissue examined after death.

How much? The equivalent weight of four to five paper clips. Worse still, the amount of microplastics entering this exquisite human organ is growing rapidly. The study shows their accumulation has surged 50% in less than a decade.

Microplastics originate in many consumer products like plastic water bottles and food packaging.

As bits of plastic are shed, they make their way into our food, water and environment.

Scientists looking at the brain found plastic particles 200 nanometers or less in size. That’s about twice as big as a virus, making them able to jump the blood-brain barrier. The pieces tend to lodge in the fatty layer that wraps around nerve cells and helps the cells communicate.

Microplastics’ impact in the brain isn’t yet clear. But researchers found a much higher percentage in the brains of those with dementia. The study cannot establish a correlation, but the finding is concerning.

Microplastics are being found in other human organs, from the liver to the lungs. But they are accumulating faster in the brain.

Some suggest limiting plastic use as a protective measure. That can be a tall order in the modern age. But it’s good food for thought.