Study: Inhaled toxic particles take direct route from lungs to brain

Breathing in polluted air could lead to toxic particles being transported from the lungs to the brain, via the bloodstream potentially contributing to brain disorders and neurological damage, a new study reveals. Scientists have discovered a possible direct pathway used by various inhaled fine particles through blood circulation with indications that, once there, the particles stay longer in the brain than in other main metabolic organs. An international team of experts from the University of Birmingham and research institutions in China today published their findings in PNAS. The scientists revealed they had found various fine particles in human cerebrospinal fluids taken from patients who had experienced brain disorders -- uncovering a process which may result in toxic particulate substances ending up in the brain.