Micro- and Nanoplastics as Emerging Environmental Materials: GreenChemistry Insights into Gut Microbiota Disruption and Chronic DiseasePathways

Micro- and Nanoplastics have become a major environmental and health issue, as they are so ubiquitous in food, water, and air. Growing data points to nanoplastics accumulating in the gastrointestinal tract, where they interact with the gut flora and cause major health effects. Nanoplastics change microbial diversity, lower helpful bacteria, and encourage pathogenic strains, therefore aggravating inflammation, oxidative stress, and immunological dysregulation. Gut barrier malfunction, metabolic abnormalities, and increased disease susceptibility-including neurodegenerative illnesses and cancer-are linked to such changes. Furthermore, nano-plastics may contribute to chronic disease progression through endocrine disruption, epigenetic modifications, and systemic inflammation. Despite growing concerns, research on nano-plastics remains limited due to challenges in detection, measurement, and risk assessment. The characteristics, origins, and routes of nano-plastics into the human body, as well as their possible disturbance of gut bacterial composition, are discussed in this review. Current knowledge gaps necessitate standardized methodologies for studying nano-plastics exposure, as well as investigations into potential therapeutic interventions to mitigate their impact. Future research should focus on understanding long-term health risks through epidemiological studies, developing microbiometargeted therapies, and implementing regulatory measures to minimize human exposure. Addressing these issues is critical to protect public health in the rising phase of nano-plastic contamination.