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Microplastics and nanoplastics in the human gut: from signals to standards

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2026
Bohan Deng, Sidhartha R. Sinha, Gavin Lear, Carolina Tropini

Summary

Researchers outlined major methodological gaps in current studies on microplastic and nanoplastic exposure through the human gastrointestinal tract, proposing minimum standards for study design and reporting to move the field from preliminary signals toward causal evidence linking gut plastic exposure to specific health outcomes.

Body Systems

The gastrointestinal tract is a critical interface for microplastic and nanoplastic exposure, yet causal links to health outcomes remain uncertain. We outline current methodological challenges and provide a list of minimum standards for rigorous study design, standardized reporting and careful attention to interpretations to distinguish mechanism from signals.

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