Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Association between microplastics exposure and gut microbiota and metabolites in older adults: A cross-sectional study

Researchers analyzed fecal samples from 45 older adults to assess the relationship between microplastic exposure and gut microbiota. They found an average of 70 microplastic particles per gram of feces, primarily PVC, butadiene rubber, and polyethylene, and observed that microplastic exposure was associated with changes in gut microbial diversity and metabolite levels. The study suggests that microplastics may influence gut health in older adults by altering bacterial community composition and metabolic pathways.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Association of gut microbiota composition and function with a senescence-accelerated mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease using 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing analysis

This study compared gut microbiota composition between a senescence-accelerated mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and normal aging mice, finding distinct differences in microbial communities and functional profiles. While not directly about microplastics, understanding gut microbiome disruption is relevant to research on how microplastic-associated chemical exposures may affect neurodegenerative disease risk.

2018 Aging 79 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Impact of microplastics on the intestinal microbiota: A systematic review of preclinical evidence

Across 28 preclinical studies, microplastics triggered intestinal dysbiosis characterized by increased Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and decreased Bacteroidetes, while increasing gut permeability and elevating pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6.

2022 Life Sciences 70 citations
Article Tier 2

In vitro gut models reveal how microplastics interact with human microbiome in adults and infants.

Researchers used in vitro gut models to investigate how microplastics interact with the human gut microbiome in both adults and infants, finding differences in microbial community responses depending on life stage. The study provides mechanistic insights into how microplastic ingestion may differentially affect gut health across age groups.

2023 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota as an emerging target for the health implications of microplastics

This review examines how microplastic exposure disrupts the gut microbiome, finding evidence that microplastics damage intestinal barrier proteins, promote inflammation and oxidative stress, and may drive systemic effects including neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity through gut-mediated pathways.

2025 Food Science and Human Wellness
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on human gut microbiota: first evidences from in vitro gut models

Researchers investigated the impact of microplastics on human gut microbiota using in vitro gut models, providing early experimental evidence of how microplastic exposure may disrupt intestinal microbial communities. The study offers foundational data on microplastic-microbiome interactions that are difficult to study directly in humans.

2022 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiome remodeling induced by microplastic exposure in humans

This review synthesizes evidence on how microplastic exposure affects the human gut microbiome, drawing on cross-sectional studies of people exposed through plastic food containers and other sources. Evidence indicates that microplastic exposure is associated with shifts in gut bacteria composition, including increases in certain bacterial groups linked to inflammation. The authors explore potential connections between microplastic-induced changes in gut bacteria and the development of various health conditions.

2026 Gut Microbes
Article Tier 2

How do microplastics affect the composition and function of gut microbiota?

Researchers reviewed how microplastics may disrupt gut microbiota composition and metabolic function, noting that while dysbiosis is a likely outcome of exposure, the full extent of these effects in humans remains poorly characterized and understudied.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

How do microplastics affect the composition and function of gut microbiota?

Researchers reviewed how microplastics may disrupt gut microbiota composition and metabolic function, noting that while dysbiosis is a likely outcome of exposure, the full scope of these effects in humans remains understudied.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota, a key to understanding the knowledge gaps on micro-nanoplastics-related biological effects and biodegradation

This review explores how micro- and nanoplastics affect the community of microorganisms living in the gut, and how those same gut microbes might be able to break down plastic particles. Swallowed microplastics can disrupt the balance of gut bacteria, potentially leading to various diseases. On the other hand, some gut bacteria can actually degrade plastics into smaller, less harmful molecules, opening a possible avenue for biological cleanup.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological Evaluation of Effects of Some Environmental Pollutants on Intestinal Microbiota: Traditional Review

This review examines how various environmental pollutants affect the gut microbiome — the community of microorganisms in the intestinal tract. Microplastics are among the pollutants discussed, and their ability to alter gut microbiota composition is increasingly recognized as a mechanism by which plastic particles may harm human and animal health.

2023 Journal of Literature Pharmacy Sciences
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-induced alterations in the intestinal environment: Aging as a modulating factor

Researchers evaluated the intestinal toxicity of environmentally aged microplastics compared to commercial microspheres through subchronic oral exposure in an animal model. They found that aging can modify microplastic properties and potentially alter their toxicity in the gut, affecting microbiota composition and inducing oxidative stress and inflammation. The study highlights the importance of using realistically aged particles rather than pristine microspheres in toxicity research.

2026 Toxicology
Systematic Review Tier 1

The ant that may well destroy a whole dam: a systematic review of the health implication of nanoplastics/microplastics through gut microbiota

This systematic review summarizes existing research on how nanoplastics and microplastics disrupt gut bacteria in various organisms. The findings show that plastic particle exposure consistently alters gut microbiome composition, which in turn affects the host's immune function, metabolism, and overall health. These gut bacteria changes may be a key pathway through which microplastics harm human health.

2025 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Association between microplastics and the functionalities of human gut microbiome

Researchers measured five types of microplastics in the blood of 39 adults and then analyzed their gut bacteria using advanced genetic sequencing. They found that microplastic exposure was linked to changes in gut bacteria that could promote infection, including increases in genes related to bacterial invasion and communication. This is one of the first studies to connect microplastic levels in human blood with functional changes in the gut microbiome, suggesting a mechanism by which microplastics could affect overall health.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Accelerates Aging Related-Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis and -Metabolites in Old-Aged Mouse

This mouse study investigated whether polystyrene microplastic exposure accelerates aging-related gut microbiome dysbiosis, using 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics. Polystyrene exposure disrupted the gut microbiota composition and altered fecal metabolite profiles in ways consistent with accelerated aging phenotypes.

2025 Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
Article Tier 2

[Effect of microand nanoplastics on the gastrointestinal mucosa and intestinal microbiome].

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics entering through the food chain affect the gastrointestinal tract, finding evidence of disruption to gut mucosal integrity and intestinal microbiome composition, with implications for digestive health and systemic immune function.

2023 PubMed 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The microplastic-crisis: Role of bacteria in fighting microplastic-effects in the digestive system

This review examines how microplastics affect the human digestive system and explores whether certain bacteria could help counteract the damage. Microplastics disrupt the gut by altering microbial communities, interfering with digestive enzymes, and damaging the protective mucus lining. The authors highlight the potential for probiotic bacteria to bind to microplastics, reduce inflammation, and help repair the gut environment, offering a possible protective strategy against microplastic-related digestive harm.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics-gut microbiota interactions in an in vitro model of the toddler colon

Researchers used an in vitro model of the toddler colon to investigate how microplastics interact with the gut microbiota in young children. The study examined changes in microbial community composition and metabolic activity following microplastic exposure, providing early evidence of potential disruption to the developing gut ecosystem.

2025 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

A probiotic for preventing microplastic toxicity: Clostridium dalinum mitigates microplastic-induced damage via microbiota-metabolism-barrier interactions

Using metagenomics and metabolomics, this study found that the probiotic bacterium Clostridium dalinum reduced microplastic-induced gut damage in mice by modulating gut microbiota composition, metabolic pathways, and intestinal barrier integrity.

2025 Current Research in Food Science
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and their interactions with microbiota

This review examines how microplastics interact with microbiota (the communities of microorganisms in the environment and in living bodies). Microplastics can carry harmful bacteria and disrupt the natural balance of microbial communities in soil, water, and the human gut. The disruption of gut microbiota by microplastics is particularly concerning because a healthy gut microbiome is essential for immune function, digestion, and overall health.

2023 Heliyon 64 citations
Article Tier 2

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

Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and disrupt gut microbiota composition, finding evidence linking these exposures to reduced microbial diversity, gut barrier dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and potential contributions to chronic diseases including metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration.

2026 Current Materials Science
Article Tier 2

The microbiota-gut-brain axis in mental and neurodegenerative disorders: opportunities for prevention and intervention.

This review synthesized evidence linking gut microbiome disruption to neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders via the microbiota-gut-brain axis, identifying opportunities for prevention and intervention. Gut dysbiosis driven by environmental factors—including plastic-associated chemicals—was implicated in conditions like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, and depression.

2025 Frontiers in aging neuroscience
Review Tier 2

Microbial risks associated with microplastics in the food chain and possible control measures (literature review). Part 1. Dietary intake and influence on the gut microbiota

This review summarizes evidence that microplastics commonly found in food and drinking water can disrupt the human gut microbiome when ingested. Studies show that microplastics alter the composition and function of intestinal bacteria, potentially affecting digestion, immunity, and overall health. Since a healthy gut microbiome is essential for human wellbeing, this pathway of harm deserves attention alongside other known risks of microplastic exposure.

2023 Hygiene and Sanitation 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut Microbiota and Extraintestinal Disorders: Are They Interrelated?

This review examines how disturbances to the gut microbiome — the community of bacteria living in the digestive tract — are linked not just to intestinal diseases but also to allergies, asthma, and cardiovascular conditions. This context is relevant to microplastics research because ingested plastic particles have been shown to alter gut microbial communities.

2021 Bengal Physician Journal