LONDON – Scientists have for the first time discovered tiny magnetic particles from air pollution lodged in human brains — which could be a possible cause of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers at Lancaster University in the UK found abundant magnetite nanoparticles in the brain tissue from 37 individuals aged three to 92-years-old who lived in Mexico City and Manchester.
This strongly magnetic mineral is toxic and has been implicated in the production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) in the human brain, which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Spectroscopic analysis was used to identify the particles as magnetite.
