Intestinal microplastic debris, flora dysbiosis, and insidious combined hazards across diverse aquatic and terrestrial organisms

Emerging insights into photodegraded plastics, synergistic toxicities, and their role as pollutant vectors call for immediate action. Ultraviolet radiation accelerates the aging of plastics, enhancing their adsorption capacity for pollutants like heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, thereby amplifying their toxicity. For instance, aged plastic particles in zebrafish have been shown to induce severe intestinal damage and disrupt microbial balance. Similarly, combined exposures of plastics and antibiotics alter the gut microbiota in organisms, affecting phyla such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. In soil ecosystems, aged plastics elevate heavy metal accumulation in earthworms, intensifying intestinal injury. Our analysis reveals a remarkable ability of the gut microbiota in certain terrestrial organisms to break down microplastics, while specific chemicals help alleviate the intestinal toxicity caused by microplastics and nanoplastics. These findings provide fresh perspectives for future mitigation tactics, underscoring the need for sustainable plastic alternatives, improved waste management strategies, and further research to mitigate the long-term impacts of microplastics and nanoplastics on ecosystem health and functionality.