Magnetite and other metal nano-particles from ICEs possibly related to Alzheimers

[thegruf]

I haven't seen this type of study previously.
This report and study and the date of release should be noted, if proven this could be extraordinarily significant.

Toxic air pollution particles found in human brains

It could even open the way for Asbestos type litigation. It would be possible to argue from the date of this report onward that the ICE automotive industry had been put on notice of a probable causal link.

Especially this supports outright BEVs and not PHEVs

BEVs have their pollution in the manufacturing process for sure, but at least this is containable if manged sensibly, and hugely preferable to ICE type pollution in the city and highway environments.

 

[McRat]

Wild. As of today, magnetite is thought to be responsible for long-term memory in the brain.

Keep us informed, as magnetite is more likely to come from metal brakes than car engines of any design. The ring surface and bore coatings of modern engines are chromium based. There isn't much bore wear today like there was 40 years ago.

 

[thegruf]

I initially thought of brakes (and even here the Tesla wins due to regen), but this excerpt seems particularly of note:

“Many of the magnetite particles we have found in the brain are very distinctive,” said Maher. “They are very rounded nanospheres, because they were formed as molten droplets of material from combustion sources, such as car exhausts, industrial processes and power stations, anywhere you are burning fuel.”


“They are abundant,” she said. “For every one of [the crystal shaped particles] we saw about 100 of the pollution particles. The thing about magnetite is it is everywhere.” An analysis of roadside air in Lancaster found 200m magnetite particles per cubic metre.

 

[JeffK]

I call BS on this article...

here's a quote from the referenced paper in Nature:

High affinity of Aβ for metal ions is correlated with accumulation of Fe and their eventual aggregation into more stable particulate forms. These events are a possible mechanism of neurons associated to mitigate increased oxidative stress and misbalance of brain metals.

Therefore it stands to reason that if you have more β-amyloid in plaques you'd have higher accumulation of metals over time. This is a no brainer...

Don't forget these metals are naturally in your blood.

 

[thegruf]

BS - really?

You presumably have significant qualifications in this field in order to make that sort of judgement.
Perhaps you can enlighten us.

The study is clear that further work needs to be done, however the unexpected finding of highly spherical magnetite and other particles within the brain ostensibly due to combustion pollution in substantial quantities appears to me to be highly significant. Furthermore it is noted that magnetite is legitimately present in the brain, but not in the manner detected.

Establishing the effect of these is the part the study quite correctly states requires further research.

All seems decently handled to me, no hyperbole and most certainly not BS

I for one am quite prepared to keep an open mind and view this as an interesting line of research.

 

[3Victoria]

These aren't just "metals" but a specific form of particles from combustion. While Fe is present in the blood, ie as part of hemoglobin, this is as single atoms integrated into the molecule not as nanospheres. I agree that this does not appear to be BS. However, cause and effect hsve not been fully characterized, yet. Alzheimers is poorly understood, but if these pollution products do prove to be causative for Alzheimers it will be another reason not to have ICE vehicles.