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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Gut & Microbiome
Human Health Effects
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Ingestion of environmentally sourced polyvinyl chloride microplastic fragments increases colon inflammation and fibrosis in mice
Environmental Research2025
3 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 58
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Alexandre Dehaut,
Madjid Djouina,
Madjid Djouina,
Madjid Djouina,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Guillaume Duflos,
Madjid Djouina,
Madjid Djouina,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Madjid Djouina,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Christophe Waxin,
Cécile Vignal,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Mathilde Body–Malapel
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Guillaume Duflos,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Guillaume Duflos,
Christophe Waxin,
Guillaume Duflos,
Charlotte Himber,
Ségolène Caboche,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Christophe Waxin,
Christophe Waxin,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Laurent Dubuquoy,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Mathilde Body–Malapel
Alexandre Dehaut,
Charlotte Himber,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Charlotte Himber,
Ségolène Caboche,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Charlotte Himber,
David Launay,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Charlotte Himber,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Cécile Vignal,
Charlotte Himber,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Mathilde Body–Malapel
Alexandre Dehaut,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Charlotte Himber,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Ségolène Caboche,
Capucine BALESDENT,
Christophe Waxin,
Capucine BALESDENT,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Charlotte Himber,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Charlotte Himber,
Delphine Beury,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Charlotte Himber,
Guillaume Duflos,
David Hot,
Guillaume Duflos,
Capucine BALESDENT,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Capucine BALESDENT,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Delphine Beury,
Guillaume Duflos,
Cécile Vignal,
David Hot,
Delphine Beury,
Guillaume Duflos,
Alexandre Dehaut,
Alexandre Dehaut,
David Hot,
Laurent Dubuquoy,
Alexandre Dehaut,
David Launay,
Laurent Dubuquoy,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
David Launay,
Laurent Dubuquoy,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Mathilde Body–Malapel
Alexandre Dehaut,
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Mathilde Body–Malapel
Mathilde Body–Malapel
Guillaume Duflos,
Guillaume Duflos,
Laurent Dubuquoy,
David Launay,
Guillaume Duflos,
Cécile Vignal,
Mathilde Body–Malapel
Summary
Researchers fed mice food contaminated with environmentally sourced PVC microplastic fragments containing 16 chemical additives, including 7 known endocrine disruptors. While the microplastics caused increased inflammation markers in healthy intestines, they significantly worsened symptoms in mice with chronic colitis, increasing fibrosis and recruiting more inflammatory cells to the colon. The study adds to evidence that real-world microplastics, with their complex mix of chemical additives, may be particularly harmful to individuals with pre-existing gut conditions.
Plastics released into the environment inevitably degrade into microplastics, which subsequently enter the food web. As a result, humans are chronically exposed to microplastics through ingestion. However, studies evaluating the effects of environmentally derived microplastics are limited. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of subchronic exposure to environmentally sourced polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics on mammalian intestinal tissue and gut microbiota. Microplastics were generated from cryoground environmental debris and consisted of irregularly shaped PVC fragments (45-100 μm), containing 16 additives, including 7 known endocrine disruptors. Mice were exposed to PVC-contaminated food (50 μg/g) for 26 days. Under steady-state conditions, PVC exposure increased molecular markers of inflammation and oxidative stress without inducing overt histomorphological alterations in the colon. In a model of chronic colitis, PVC exposure exacerbated clinical symptoms, histological damage, and molecular markers of inflammation and fibrosis. These effects were associated with increased recruitment of neutrophils to the colon. Correlation analyses revealed significant associations between colitis exacerbation and increased relative abundances of Gastranaerophilales, Parasutterella, Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Colidextribacter, and Dubosiella, alongside a reduction in Lactobacillus and an enrichment of the isopropanol biosynthesis pathway. These findings add to growing evidence that real-world microplastics, including non-spherical PVC fragments, can induce intestinal toxicity.