Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastic associated chemicals upon oral consumption of microplastics

This thesis quantified the release of plastic-associated chemical contaminants from microplastics during simulated human digestion, measuring how much of these chemicals actually leach out under stomach and intestinal conditions. The research helps estimate the chemical exposure humans receive when they ingest microplastics through food and water.

2020 Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling
Article Tier 2

Is bisphenol A sorbed onto microplastics less bioavailable than freely dissolved bisphenol A? Implications for the gut health in a murine model

Using an in vivo rat model, researchers tested whether bisphenol A adsorbed onto microplastics is less bioavailable in the gastrointestinal tract than freely dissolved BPA, finding that plastic-bound BPA showed altered absorption kinetics and different hormonal effects than dissolved BPA.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

How Digestive Processes Can Affect the Bioavailability of PCBs Associated with Microplastics: A Modeling Study Supported by Empirical Data

Researchers used a simulated human digestive model to study whether gut processes change how quickly chemicals like PCBs transfer on and off microplastic particles. They found that digestive enzymes and bile salts significantly accelerated the release of these chemicals from microplastics, suggesting that the human gut environment may increase exposure to plastic-associated pollutants. The study provides new evidence that microplastics could act as carriers that release harmful chemicals more readily during digestion.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Consequential fate of bisphenol-attached PVC microplastics in water and simulated intestinal fluids

Researchers tested how bisphenol-attached PVC microplastics release bisphenols in aquatic and simulated intestinal fluid environments, finding that desorption was faster under gut-like conditions and that released bisphenols were cytotoxic to human intestinal cell lines.

2020 Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Mimicking human ingestion of microplastics: Oral bioaccessibility tests of bisphenol A and phthalate esters under fed and fasted states

Researchers simulated human digestion to measure how much bisphenol A and phthalate esters leach from polyethylene and PVC microplastics under fasting and fed conditions. They found that polar additives like dimethyl phthalate and BPA had the highest bioaccessibility, ranging from 37% to 92%, with greater release from the more flexible LDPE polymer. The study suggests that chemical additives in ingested microplastics can become bioaccessible during human digestion, with release rates depending on the plastic type and additive properties.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating the desorption of polybrominated diphenyl ethers from polyethylene microplastics to sediment

Researchers investigated how polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) desorb from polyethylene microplastics under simulated gut conditions, finding that digestive fluids with surfactants significantly enhanced PBDE release, raising concerns about gut-mediated transfer of flame retardants from ingested plastic particles.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Digestion of plastics using in vitro human gastrointestinal tract and their potential to adsorb emerging organic pollutants

Researchers simulated human digestion of polystyrene and polyethylene plastics and found that digestive processes fundamentally altered plastic surfaces, creating new functional groups and generating micro- and nanostructures that can detach. The study suggests that digested plastics have enhanced capacity to adsorb certain pollutants like triclosan and diclofenac, potentially increasing health risks from ingested plastic.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 45 citations
Article Tier 2

In vitro digestion of microplastics in human digestive system: Insights into particle morphological changes and chemical leaching

Researchers simulated human digestion on four common types of microplastics and found that stomach acid and digestive enzymes changed the particles' shape, surface texture, and caused them to release chemical additives. The study shows that microplastics are not inert once swallowed -- they are actively transformed in the gut, which could increase their ability to interact with intestinal tissues and release potentially harmful chemicals.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Microplastics in Digestion System: Effect on Surface Microstructures and Probiotics

Researchers investigated how the digestive system affects five common microplastic types and found that digestion altered the surface microstructures of the particles while also negatively impacting probiotic bacteria, suggesting potential health risks from ingested microplastics.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Measuring the Effect of Dietary Microplastic on Biomagnification Potential of Environmental Contaminants and Plastic Additives

Researchers measured the effect of dietary microplastic ingestion on the biomagnification potential of hydrophobic organic contaminants and plastic additives in the gastrointestinal tract, testing competing hypotheses about whether microplastics increase, decrease, or negligibly affect contaminant uptake.

2024 TSpace
Article Tier 2

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

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.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

PET Microplastics Affect Human Gut Microbiota Communities During Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion. First Evidence of Plausible Polymer Biodegradation During Human Digestion

Researchers simulated gastrointestinal digestion and found that PET microplastics altered human gut microbiota community composition, and provided first evidence of plausible partial polymer biodegradation during passage through the human digestive tract.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in our diet: complementary in vitro gut and epithelium models to understand their fate in the human digestive tract.

Researchers used complementary in vitro gut models to study how microplastics behave during human digestion, finding that digestive conditions alter microplastic surface properties and their interactions with gut cells. The work advances understanding of how ingested microplastics may affect the human digestive system.

2021 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Article Tier 2

Bioaccessibility of microplastic-associated heavy metals using an in vitro digestion model and its implications for human health risk assessment

Researchers evaluated the bioaccessibility of heavy metals associated with microplastics using an in vitro digestion model to assess human health risks. The study found significant adsorption of arsenic, chromium, cadmium, and lead onto polyvinyl chloride microplastics, with varying bioaccessibility across different digestive phases. The findings suggest that incorporating bioaccessibility data into risk assessments may provide more accurate estimates of health risks from ingesting microplastic-associated heavy metals.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Digestive enzyme-driven desorption of phenanthrene from microplastics in a simulated human gut

This study investigated how digestive enzymes in a simulated human gut affect the release of phenanthrene (a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) from microplastics. Enzymatic digestion significantly increased phenanthrene desorption from MPs compared to non-enzymatic conditions, indicating that gut digestion could liberate adsorbed pollutants from ingested microplastics.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Desorption of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Microplastics in Human Gastrointestinal Fluid Simulants─Implications for Exposure Assessment

Scientists used a lab model of the human digestive system to study how cancer-causing chemicals called PAHs are released from microplastics as they pass through the gut. They found that 21-29% of the chemicals absorbed onto microplastics were released during digestion, with the most release happening in the intestines. However, the overall contribution of microplastic-carried PAHs to total dietary intake was very low, suggesting that for most people, microplastics are not a major source of PAH exposure through food.

2024 ACS Omega 14 citations
Article Tier 2

What if you eat nanoplastics? Simulating nanoplastics fate during gastrointestinal digestion

Researchers simulated what happens to nanoplastics as they pass through the human digestive system, from the mouth through the stomach and intestines. They found that digestive conditions significantly altered the size and surface properties of the particles, which could affect how readily they are absorbed into the body. The study provides important insights into how the gut environment transforms nanoplastics and may influence their potential health effects.

2024 Chemosphere 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic adsorption characteristics of bisphenol A: The roles of pH, metal ions, and suspended sediments

Researchers found that nanoplastics adsorb bisphenol A through electrostatic, pi-pi stacking, and hydrophobic interactions, with adsorption capacity influenced by pH, competing metal ions, and suspended sediments, highlighting nanoplastics as vectors for BPA transport in aquatic environments.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccessibility of plastic-related compounds from polymeric particles in marine settings: Are microplastics the principal vector of phthalate ester congeners and bisphenol A towards marine vertebrates?

Researchers studied whether microplastics are a major pathway for delivering harmful plastic chemicals like phthalates and bisphenol A to marine animals during digestion. They found that while microplastics do release these compounds under simulated gut conditions, the amounts were relatively low compared to other environmental sources. The study suggests that microplastics may not be the primary route of chemical exposure for marine vertebrates, though they still contribute to the overall burden.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as potential bisphenol carriers: role of adsorbents, adsorbates, and environmental factors

Laboratory experiments showed that four common microplastic types — polystyrene, polypropylene, polyamide, and PVC — all readily adsorb bisphenols (BPA, BPB, BPF, BPS), with polyamide showing the highest capacity. Adsorption was strongly influenced by polymer surface chemistry, bisphenol hydrophobicity, temperature, and salinity. Because bisphenols are potent endocrine disruptors, microplastics acting as their environmental carriers could amplify human and wildlife exposure through contaminated seafood and drinking water.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 citations