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Exposure to Environmental Pollutants and Risk of Diarrhea: A Systematic Review
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This systematic review summarizes existing research linking environmental pollutants, including microplastics, to increased risk of diarrhea and other gut problems. The study found that contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and microplastics in water and food can disrupt the digestive system, particularly in low-income countries with less water treatment. This highlights how microplastic-contaminated water may contribute to gastrointestinal health issues.
This systematic review investigates the association between environmental pollutants and the risk of diarrhea, a critical public health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The review synthesizes findings from various studies that highlight the impact of contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), microplastics, and parabens on gastrointestinal health. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search across databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar yielded 496 articles, of which 11 met the inclusion criteria for detailed analysis. The results indicate a significant correlation between exposure to specific pollutants-particularly pesticides like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), PAHs, arsenic, cadmium, and microplastics-and increased incidences of diarrhea. Notably, studies revealed that prenatal exposure to DDT is linked to higher diarrhea rates among boys in urban settings, while pesticide exposure in childhood correlates with inflammatory bowel disease in adulthood. Mechanistically, these pollutants may disrupt gastrointestinal function through cholinergic effects and endocrine disruption, leading to altered gut motility and microbiome imbalances. Moreover, the review emphasizes the immunosuppressive effects of heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium, which compromise the immune response and increase susceptibility to gastrointestinal infections. Despite the identified associations, there is a notable gap in research regarding geographic distribution and pollutant impacts on health outcomes. The review underscores the necessity for public health interventions aimed at reducing exposure to these environmental pollutants to mitigate their adverse health effects. In conclusion, this systematic review highlights the urgent need for further epidemiological studies in underrepresented areas to enhance our understanding of how environmental pollutants influence public health globally. Recommendations include rigorous monitoring of pollutant levels, public health initiatives to reduce exposure, and policies that restrict emissions of harmful substances. Addressing environmental pollution is crucial for mitigating diarrheal diseases and protecting vulnerable populations from its detrimental effects.
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Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tract: A Systematic Review
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This systematic review summarizes research on microplastics found in the human gastrointestinal tract. It highlights that microplastics are accumulating in our digestive systems through food and water, and calls for urgent research to understand how these particles may affect gut health and overall well-being.
Research Advances on the Impact of Environmental Pollutants on Gut Microbiota
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This review synthesizes evidence from animal models, human studies, and mechanistic experiments showing how microplastics, pesticides, and heavy metals each disrupt gut microbiota composition, reduce beneficial bacteria, and compromise intestinal barrier integrity and host health.
Impacts of microplastics on gut health: Current status and future directions
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This systematic review found consistent evidence across mouse, fish, and earthworm models that microplastics disrupt gut microbiota composition, impair intestinal barrier integrity, and trigger gastrointestinal inflammation. The correlation between microplastic exposure and gut health deterioration was statistically significant across all animal models examined.
Microplastics, Gut Microbiota, and Obesity: An Emerging Environmental Health Concern
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This review summarizes existing research on microplastics found in human feces, tissues, water and air. In animal studies, swallowed microplastics reduced gut microbe diversity, increased harmful bacteria and disrupted gut barriers, linked to inflammation and altered fat metabolism. Limited human studies suggest possible links between fecal microplastics, plastic packaging use, gut microbe changes and higher BMI, though more research is needed.
Microplastics disrupt intestinal physiology: From microbiota composition to intestinal barrier integrity
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This review pulls together existing research on how the tiny plastic particles we swallow through food and water may mess with our gut health. The evidence suggests microplastics can shift our gut bacteria toward less beneficial types while reducing helpful bacteria that support digestion, and this may weaken the gut's protective lining—potentially allowing harmful substances to pass into the body more easily. While more research is needed to fully understand the risks, this adds to growing concerns about how everyday plastic exposure might affect our long-term health.
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