(NEXSTAR) – The world is filled with microplastics, found in everything from the air and oceanwater to common foods like chicken and rice – and, according to a new study, even the human brain.

These tiny plastic particles can range in size from 5 millimeters (as small as a pencil eraser) to 1 nanometer, which can’t be seen with the naked eye, the Environmental Protection Agency explains on its website.

A study, posted in May, looked at the increasing levels of micro and nano plastics (MNPs) in the environment and how they might affect our health.

Researchers examined these shard-like particles in human organs – specifically the liver, kidneys, and brain – using autopsy samples collected in Albuquerque,........

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