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Differential Effects of the Human Digestive Process on Petroleum- and Bio-Based Microplastics Following an In Vitro Approach to Determine Polymer Integrity and Seafood Digestibility
Summary
Researchers used an in vitro human digestion model to assess how PET and PLA microplastics affect the digestibility of three seafood species, finding that both plastic types partially resisted gastrointestinal degradation and that they differentially altered nutrient absorption from the seafood.
Plastic pollution is a major environmental concern. In humans, ingestion through contaminated seafood is a recognized exposure route to microplastics, which may impact gut health. However, the extent to which microplastics interfere with digestion and nutrient absorption remains unclear. To this end, the present work aimed to assess, for the first time, the influence of microplastic particles (polyethylene terephthalate, PET, and polylactic acid, PLA) on the digestibility of three selected seafood species (gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata; Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar; and hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria) using an in vitro human digestion model. Furthermore, this study evaluated the potential degradability of microplastics along the gastrointestinal tract and examined how particle type and exposure level (10 or 20 particles) may influence seafood digestibility. Protein digestibility in S. aurata and S. salar filets was ~86%, while in M. mercenaria it was ~73%, regardless of microplastic presence or quantity. PET and PLA integrity was affected differently by digestion, with PLA showing greater surface degradation. These findings provide preliminary insight into the mutual interactions between microplastics and the human digestive process, highlighting the importance for further research into how the leaching of plastics additives may or may not influence the bioaccessibility of essential nutrients.