Scientists present new possible cause of Parkinson's disease and explain surge in diagnosis

Scientists have found a potential cause of Parkinson's disease in a new study, and it means that practically all of us are at a heightened risk.

Parkinsons is a health condition which affects movement, and is triggered when brain cells that make dopamine stop working properly.

The condition often begins to manifest with tremors or stiffness, and progressively gets worse over time.

There is no cure for the condition, but it can be managed and proper treatment can help to reduce symptoms.

Parkinsons has two types, one which is genetic, and another where the precise cause is not known, and may differ from person to person.

But now scientists working in China have identified one possible factor which could put us in more danger of the condition.

Microplastics are becoming increasingly prevalent (Guido Mieth/Getty)

Sadly, this is something which is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid.

It's microplastics - those tiny fragments of plastic which have wormed their way to everywhere from the deep ocean to our very bodies.

As plastic pollution becomes more prevalent, microplastics are being found in more and more places, including in the food we eat.

The study said: "With the intensification of global plastic pollution, the potential threats posed by micro- and nanoplastics to human health have become a major concern.

"Microplastics] enter the organism through ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact, subsequently accumulating in multiple organs - particularly the brain."

This study was made up of a review of around 100 different studies.

Microplastics enter our bodies through ingestion, and can then go on to accumulate in our brains.

There, the review warned that this may lead to toxic proteins building up which are themselves connected to Parkinson's Disease.

Microplastics are ingested, and can lead to health problems (Alistair Berg/Getty)

The study has come amid a rise in cases of Parkinson's disease, which have more than doubled over the course of the last 25 years.

Now, an estimated 8.9 million people live with Parkinson's, including actor Michael J Fox.

Plastic pollution is now at such a problem that we simply cannot avoid ingesting it.

Microplastics are formed when larger plastic items begin to break down in the environment, eventually reaching a microscopic size.

Some researchers now estimate that in the US the average person will ingest approximately five grams of microplastics each week.

This is about the equivalent of a spoon full of them, and comes to around 21 grams per month, and 125 grams over the course of six months.

Microplastic is defined as being a fragment smaller than five millimeters, and a nanoplastic is smaller than a thousandth of a millimeter.

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