How nanoplastics are destroying our brains, our children, and the biosphere | ALLATRA Research Center

The ALLATRA Global Research Center has published a science documentary highlighting the scale of a global health and environmental challenge whose potential significance has often been underestimated: the widespread contamination of the biosphere--including the human body--by electrostatically charged micro- and nanoplastic particles.

The Invisible Enemy in Our Bodies

The 3.5-hour documentary "Nanoplastics - The Invisible Danger to Life" brings together, for the first time, research findings from internationally recognized scientists. It shows that nanoplastics are far more than a passive environmental problem: electrostatically charged nanoplastic particles may actively interfere with biological processes.

Professor Antonio Ragusa, an Italian gynecologist who in 2021 was the first to detect microplastics in the human placenta, explains in the film:

"Plastic is harmful, and children are particularly affected. In our scientific article, which attracted a lot of attention and was frequently cited, we referred to them as cyborg babies--babies made of organic material, but also of synthetic material such as plastic. These babies are smaller, usually have smaller brains, and only very few have lower plastic levels in their bodies."

The Physical Dimension of the Disaster

Unlike many previous environmental films, this documentary focuses specifically on the physical properties of nanoplastics. More than 20 years ago, spine specialist and researcher Igor Danilov recognized that the true danger of plastic particles may lie not only in their chemical toxicity, but also in their ability to accumulate and retain electrostatic charge over long periods--similar to an electret.

This property may enable nanoplastic particles to:

penetrate biological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier

embed in cell membranes

disrupt electrical signaling between neurons

damage mitochondria and impair cellular energy production

electrically "recharge" themselves and renew their destructive effect

Professor Lukas Kenner of the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Applied Metabolomics in Vienna warns:

"If we take a 5-millimeter microplastic particle, for example, and break it down into equal parts of one micrometer--i.e., a nanoplastic particle--then one particle becomes 125 billion particles. That's as many as there are galaxies in the universe. In other words, it's a huge amount, and the surface area of these particles is 5,000 times greater than the surface area of the 5-millimeter particle. This means they create a vast surface area when they are broken down, and a great deal can bind to that surface--potentially harmful substances."
(Source: oeaz.at/Transkript_28_Mikroplastik_Kenner.pdf)

From the Ocean to the Brain: A Global Cycle

Based on current research data, the documentary shows how plastic is transported through environmental and biological systems in a global cycle:

In the ocean

Over 200 million plastic waste has accumulated in the ocean. In the ocean's surface layer alone, there are around 350 trillion plastic microparticles. In reality, however, the true number is likely many times higher. Scientists estimate that 90% of nanoplastic particles are too small to be detected by analytical equipment.

In the atmosphere

Through evaporation, plastic particles enter the air and are transported over thousands of kilometers. Dr. Du?an Materi? of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research explains:

"What we discovered is that nanoplastics are present at all stations, and we have even found nanoplastics in the deepest marine environment. Our deepest measuring point is below 5,000 meters."

In the food chain

Scientists at the University of Newcastle (Australia) found that, on average, a person consumes around 250 grams of plastic per year through food--equivalent to the weight of 50 plastic bags. Professor Sedat Guendo?du of ?ukurova University reported:

"We analyzed 26 deceased individuals, examined the contents of their gastrointestinal tracts, and found 9 to 10 microplastic particles in their stomachs in every case. That means, given the amount of microplastics, we can speak of an acute form of contamination."

In the human brain

According to researchers at the University of New Mexico, current calculations suggest that the human brain contains, on average, around 7 grams of plastic per person--equivalent to about 0.5% of brain weight, roughly the weight of a plastic spoon.

Threat to Intelligence and Cognitive Abilities

The effects on cognitive development are particularly alarming. The documentary presents data on the "Reverse Flynn Effect"--the first documented decline in average IQ since measurements began:

In 2025, U.S. high school students recorded the worst math and reading scores since records began.

The decline in IQ correlates directly with the exponential increase in plastic production since the 1970s.

Electrostatically charged nanoplastic particles may disrupt signal transmission between neurons and contribute to chronic neuroinflammation.

Dr. Sarju Ganatra, a cardio-oncologist at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, warns:

"However, you have to consider the cumulative effect. It's not about a specific threshold at a specific point in time, not about a one-time pollution level of what we consume, but about the cumulative effect on our brains. And honestly, we don't know that yet, because the time factor varies--for a small child whose brain is not yet fully developed, or for the brain of an adult."

Reproductive Crisis and the Future of Humanity

The impact on reproductive health is described as dramatic:

In men, total sperm count declined by over 60% worldwide between 1973 and 2018.

Microplastics were found in all sperm samples examined.

17.5% of adults worldwide suffer from infertility--about one in six people.

Given the global spread of plastic pollution, projections by Shanna Swan, professor of environmental medicine and reproductive health specialist, suggest the world population could become completely infertile by 2045.

Microplastics have also been detected in placentas, and the higher the concentration, the more frequently premature births and fetal developmental disorders occur. Researchers also found microplastic particles in breast milk in almost 40% of samples.

Ecosystem Collapse: When Nature Falls Silent

The documentary shows how nanoplastics may disrupt electrical communication systems across the biosphere.

In bees

Microplastics can enter a bee's body through its thin cuticle or through food, reaching its brain after just seventy-two hours. As in humans, this can lead to synapse destruction, neuroinflammation, cell death, and disrupted neurotransmission. Bees lose weight; their metabolism slows; immunity declines. Smell, memory, and orientation are impaired. Bees may no longer recognize nestmates and can no longer find their way home.

Prolonged exposure has fatal consequences: the bees' nervous systems cannot withstand the stress, and some bees simply fall dead to the ground mid-flight.

Professor David Baracchi of the University of Florence explains:

"Polystyrene not only severely impaired survival, but also learning and memory. In our experiment, we found that this polymer--at a concentration likely to occur in the environment--can impair memory formation and retrieval."

In forests

Trees communicate via electrical signals through roots and fungal networks--the "Wood Wide Web." Nanoplastics may disrupt this communication and weaken forests' ability to adapt and regenerate.

Dr. Collin J. Weber (TU Darmstadt, Institute of Applied Geosciences) and Prof. Dr. Moritz Bigalke (University of Bern / TU Darmstadt) estimated annual microplastic deposition in forest soils and demonstrated its correlation with the volume of plastic production in Europe. Assuming atmospheric precipitation is the main source, around 400,000 microplastic particles per square meter could accumulate in forest soils over 70 years.
(Source: "Forest soils accumulate microplastics through atmospheric deposition" -- Communications Earth & Environment)

In the sea

All aquatic organisms generate continuous bioelectric fields through ion flow across their skin. These fields change subtly when an animal moves or another organism appears nearby. Electrical impulses are inseparable from life itself--even underwater.

Electrostatically charged micro- and nanoplastic particles may distort or block these signals, placing marine animals at particular risk. As a result, marine animals and fish can lose the ability to locate prey accurately, evade predators, and follow migration routes--threatening survival and contributing to population declines.

Health Crisis: From Cancer to Sudden Death

The medical implications described in the documentary are far-reaching.

Cancer

Cancer rates are rising worldwide--from 18.1 million new cases in 2020 to nearly 20 million in 2022. The WHO projects 33-35 million new cases per year by 2050.

Professor Jeffrey Long warns:

"There is an increased rate of cancer worldwide in children and also in significantly younger people than I have seen before. What is happening now is that more and more people are developing cancer--children, young adults--and it probably has nothing to do with smoking, alcohol, or anything like that. There seems to be something else, something in the environment, that is causing these cancers at an alarming rate, and it's getting worse."

Cardiovascular disease

People with microplastics in atherosclerotic plaques have a 4.5-fold higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. Nanoplastics promote thrombosis, damage blood vessels, and impair heart function through mitochondrial damage.

Sudden death

The documentary discusses a possible link between nanoplastics and sudden cardiac death, which claims about 5 million lives worldwide each year. Electrostatically charged particles could interfere with the transmission of vital electrical signals from the brain to the heart and lungs.

Exclusion Zones: The Mediterranean Disaster

Particularly alarming are the findings about the Mediterranean, where researchers identified an invisible "sixth garbage patch" consisting mainly of microplastics. The concentration is reported to be four times higher than in the North Pacific.

Professor Guendo?du reports:

"Due to recycling, the Ceyhan and Seyhan rivers are actually the most polluted rivers in the Mediterranean. They transport more than 5,000 tons of plastic waste into the Mediterranean every year. That is too much. In addition, pollution on the Turkish coast amounts to about 31 kilograms of plastic per kilometer of coastline per day. That means 31 kg of plastic waste drifts ashore every day per kilometer of coastline. That is a lot. Imagine: a plastic bottle weighs about 10 to 15 grams. Then you can calculate how many plastic bottles wash up on these shores every day."

Dr. Ganatra's study reports that people living in areas with high concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics show:

9% more memory and cognitive impairments than people living in low-concentration areas

6% higher rates of movement disorders

16% more frequent difficulties with self-care (e.g., dressing, hygiene)

8% more frequent inability to live independently (e.g., housekeeping, shopping)

Regions once associated with health and luxury are becoming risk zones.

Why Recycling and Stopping Plastic Production Cannot Solve the Problem

A central and striking conclusion in the documentary challenges the common assumption that stopping production and expanding recycling could solve the plastics crisis. The reality is described as far bleaker: even if humanity stopped all plastic production today, the plastic already present in the biosphere would remain a deadly threat for millennia.

Dr. Ganatra sums it up:

"Even if we stopped producing plastic today and threw away the last plastic bottle, it would remain in our oceans for at least 400 years--and with it, the journey of micro- and nanoplastics."

The numbers are sobering. Of the 200 million tons of plastic waste in the world's oceans, only about 20,000 tons are removed each year--less than 0.01%. At this pace, fully cleaning the ocean of plastic waste would take around 10,000 years. Even with a fivefold increase in efficiency, roughly 2,000 years would still be needed.

Professor Richard Thompson warns:

"Plastic is currently entering the environment at a rate that far exceeds our capacity to remove it."

Even more concerning, mechanical removal is described as not only inefficient, but also harmful. Professor Guendo?du explains:

"There are organizations that try to collect plastic waste accumulated in so-called 'garbage patches' in the ocean. But in doing so, they also catch neuston--organisms living in the top 15-centimeter layer of the ocean. These organisms use artificial materials as hunting grounds, nesting sites, and feeding grounds, and sometimes even lay their eggs directly on the plastic. So when we remove the plastic, we also destroy these organisms. That means the cleanup process itself becomes another ecological problem."

The biggest problem, however, is invisible: much of the plastic has already broken down into micro- and nanoparticles that lie on the seabed, float in the water column, enter the bodies of marine organisms, and become part of the global material cycle. These particles cannot be caught with nets or collected manually. They are already in every living cell on the planet--in the brain, in children's organs, in unborn embryos, and even in egg cells and sperm.

Common disposal methods may also worsen the problem. Incineration--from backyard burning to industrial waste incineration--does not eliminate plastic; it can accelerate fragmentation into dangerous nanoparticles that disperse into the air. Pyrolysis at 800?C releases highly toxic dioxins and furans. Even recycling contributes to contamination: Professor Guendo?du reports that recycling plants generate "billions and billions" of microplastic particles through shredding and washing processes, which then enter wastewater streams or waterways.

"No Way to Remove Nanoplastics from Our Bodies"

The documentary's central claim is stark: there is no reliable way to remove nanoplastics from the human body. Medical procedures such as plasmapheresis or hemosorption can, at best, filter a tiny fraction from the blood--while particles have long since been deposited in cells, organs, and the brain.

Dr. Ganatra states:

"I don't believe there are scientifically proven methods for filtering micro- and nanoplastics out of the blood. They are deposited directly in the organs, and that's not something you can filter out by running the blood through some kind of filtration machine."

At the same time, a complete abandonment of plastic is described as unrealistic and economically disastrous. Plastic is the second most commonly used material in the world after concrete and forms the backbone of modern industry, medicine, electronics, aerospace, and construction.

Professor Thompson emphasizes:

"Plastic is not the enemy. It's not about stopping the production of plastic. It's about ending plastic pollution, not ending production. Plastic can have a clear benefit to society."

According to the documentary, the only real solution is not removal or avoidance, but neutralizing plastics' most dangerous property: electrostatic charge. The ALLATRA research group states that nanoplastics must be deprived of the ability to accumulate and retain electrical charge--not only in a Petri dish, but across the entire biosphere--without harming humans, the planet, or the Earth's magnetic field. The documentary argues this would not only eliminate the health threat, but also remove excess energy from the biosphere that would otherwise exacerbate the geodynamic crisis and intensify natural disasters.

This monumental scientific challenge, the film argues, requires the combined efforts of the global community. No single researcher, institution, or nation can meet it alone.

False hopes in recycling or production stoppages, the documentary concludes, distract from the urgency of the underlying challenge and waste precious time.

Urgent Call to Action

Professor Kenner summarizes the urgency:

"I think it's very important for people to understand that this is not about large pieces of plastic lying around somewhere. These products gradually break down into smaller and smaller particles--and that is precisely what poses a great danger to us. People need to be made aware of this, so they understand that this could be an avalanche coming our way. It will come--or could come--if we do nothing about it."

Time is running out, the documentary argues. Cognitive impairment is progressing. The film asks a final question: do we still have the mental clarity to recognize this existential threat and act together?

About ALLATRA Global Research Center

ALLATRA Global Research Center is an international scientific organization dedicated to researching global threats to humanity. In collaboration with leading scientists worldwide, ALLATRA develops evidence-based solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time.

Availability

The complete documentary is now available free of charge in German at:
https://allatra.org/de/nanoplastics-threat-to-life

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