Exposure of soil collembolans to microplastics perturbs their gut microbiota and alters their isotopic composition

Interactive effects of warming, antibiotics, and nanoplastics on the gut microbiome of the collembolan Folsomia candida

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Exposing the soil invertebrate Folsomia candida to nanoplastics and antibiotics across two temperatures revealed that nanoplastics disrupted gut microbiome diversity at 20°C, while warming to 22°C reversed that effect, with the endosymbiont Wolbachia playing a key regulatory role. This work shows that climate warming fundamentally alters how nanoplastics affect soil organisms, complicating predictions about ecosystem impacts as global temperatures rise.

Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems and their effects on macroinvertebrates

Microplastics in Biota

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Researchers summarized evidence that microplastics have infiltrated living organisms across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, posing a broad threat to biodiversity. Their persistence in biological tissues means they can accumulate up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans through diet.

Microplastics in Biota

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Microplastics have been detected in biota across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, demonstrating their ability to enter food webs at multiple trophic levels. Their omnipresence in living organisms raises concerns about bioaccumulation of both the plastic particles and the chemical additives and adsorbed pollutants they carry.

Gut microbiome alterations associated with microplastics: Underestimated risk from tiny particle

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This review pulls together existing research showing that tiny plastic particles, found in our food, water, and even air, can disrupt the balance of bacteria living in our gut, and this disruption has been linked to problems ranging from digestive diseases to effects on the brain, liver, and reproductive system in animal studies. The catch: scientists still struggle to accurately detect and measure these particles in the body, meaning our real-world exposure and its health effects are likely underestimated. Bottom line, microplastics may be quietly messing with your gut health in ways we're only beginning to understand and measure.