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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effect of digestion system on microstructures of microplastics from biodegradable polyesters and impact of these microplastics on microorganisms in digestion system
ClearInvestigation 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.
Property evolution and secondary microplastic release of plastic film MPs in simulated digestive fluids
Researchers placed polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT film microplastics into simulated digestive fluids and tracked how their surface properties changed and whether they released smaller secondary particles. Both types released secondary microplastics and underwent surface chemical changes in the digestive environment, raising concerns about what happens to ingested plastic film fragments in the human gut.
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.
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.
Simulated gastrointestinal digestion of two different sources of biodegradable microplastics and the influence on gut microbiota
Researchers used a simulated human digestive system to study what happens to biodegradable microplastics when we swallow them. They found that PLA (polylactic acid) microplastics started breaking down in stomach acid, while PCL (polycaprolactone) microplastics stayed intact until reaching the large intestine, where both types disrupted beneficial gut bacteria. This is concerning because biodegradable plastics, often marketed as safer alternatives, may still harm gut health when ingested.
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.
Functional interplay between plastic polymers and microbes: a comprehensive review
Researchers reviewed microbial biodegradation of conventional and bioplastic polymers in natural and gut environments, finding that abiotic weathering (UV, heat) primes plastics for biodegradation, and that physicochemical pretreatment combined with engineered microbial consortia and enzymes offers the most promising path to effective plastic breakdown.
PET microplastics affect human gut microbiota communities during simulated gastrointestinal digestion, first evidence of plausible polymer biodegradation during human digestion
Using a simulated human digestive system, researchers tracked what happens to PET microplastics as they pass through the stomach and intestines. The microplastics were structurally changed during digestion and appeared to alter the composition of gut bacteria, with some microbes forming biofilms on the plastic surfaces. This is the first evidence that microplastics may be partially broken down during human digestion and could disrupt the gut microbiome, which plays a critical role in overall health.
Impact of Digestion on Surface Microstructures of Microplastics
This study examined how the digestive processes of organisms affect the surface structure of microplastics, finding that digestion caused notable changes to particle surfaces while not breaking down the particles. These surface changes could affect how microplastics adsorb other chemicals and interact with tissues after being ingested. Understanding how digestion alters microplastics is important for accurately assessing exposure risks from swallowing these particles.
Simulated gastrointestinal digestion of polylactic acid (PLA) biodegradable microplastics and their interaction with the gut microbiota
Researchers simulated what happens when humans swallow polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, a common bioplastic labeled as biodegradable, by running them through an artificial digestive system. While PLA did not dramatically alter the overall gut bacterial community, it did increase certain bacteria and change how the microbial community metabolized nutrients. The study also found that stomach acid caused physical changes to the PLA particles, suggesting that even supposedly safe bioplastics may interact with our gut in ways we do not yet fully understand.
Incorporation of polylactic acid microplastics into the carbon cycle as a carbon source to remodel the endogenous metabolism of the gut
Researchers discovered that gut bacteria can break down so-called biodegradable PLA microplastics and incorporate the carbon into their own metabolism, fundamentally altering the gut's energy balance. This process reduced beneficial short-chain fatty acids that fuel gut lining cells and caused decreased appetite and weight loss in mice, suggesting that biodegradable plastics may not be as harmless inside the body as assumed.
Influence of artificial digestion on characteristics and intestinal cellular effects of micro-, submicro- and nanoplastics
Researchers simulated human digestion to study how micro-, submicro-, and nanoplastics change as they pass through the stomach and intestines. They found that the digestive process altered the surface properties and size distribution of the plastic particles, potentially affecting how they interact with intestinal cells. The study suggests that the body's digestive environment may transform plastic particles in ways that influence their biological impact.
Role of Microbes in Microplastic Removal and Its Effect on Human Health
This review examines the role of microbes in microplastic removal from environmental matrices and food systems, covering both degradation pathways and the health implications of microplastic-microbiome interactions for humans and other organisms.
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.
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.
Identification of plastic-degrading bacteria in the human gut
Scientists discovered bacteria in the human gut that can break down common plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene, though all the plastic-degrading species identified were opportunistic pathogens. The bacteria could physically and chemically alter plastic surfaces but only achieved limited depolymerization. This finding raises the question of whether microplastic exposure in the gut could promote the growth of potentially harmful bacteria while they attempt to digest the plastic.
Biodegradation of microplastic by probiotic bifidobacterium
Researchers found that probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis can biodegrade microplastics, demonstrating a novel microbial approach to addressing plastic pollution using a gut-resident bacterium known for regulating intestinal microbiota.
Fate of polylactic acid microplastics during anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste: Insights on property changes, released dissolved organic matters, and biofilm formation
Polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics were tracked through the anaerobic digestion of kitchen waste, revealing that PLA particles underwent surface changes and released dissolved organic matter but were not fully degraded during the process. The study shows that even supposedly biodegradable plastics can persist and alter biofilm formation in anaerobic digestion systems.
Degradation of subµ-sized bioplastics by clinically important bacteria under sediment and seawater conditions: Impact on the bacteria responses.
Researchers found that clinically important bacteria colonized submicron-sized bioplastic particles in both seawater and sediment and showed biochemical stress responses to the bioplastics. The ability of pathogens to form biofilms on bioplastic surfaces in marine environments raises concerns that bioplastics, like conventional plastics, could act as vectors for disease-causing microorganisms.
Microbial Plastic Degradation: A Solution or a Pollution Problem?
Researchers examined how polymer microstructure influences the formation of micro- and nanoplastics, highlighting that microbial degradation may be an underappreciated driver of plastic fragmentation and urging caution before widely promoting microbial mitigation technologies.
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.
Micro(nano)plastics in food system: potential health impacts on human intestinal system.
This review assessed how micro(nano)plastics in the human food system reach the intestine and accumulate in the gut, summarizing evidence that they can alter intestinal barrier function, trigger inflammation, and disrupt the gut microbiome, with implications for long-term digestive health.
Investigating the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces
Researchers investigated the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces, examining how microbial communities interact with plastic polymers in environmental settings. The study characterized the 'plastisphere' — the community of microorganisms that colonize microplastic surfaces — and assessed the extent to which microbial activity contributes to plastic degradation in natural environments.
Secondary microplastics formation and colonized microorganisms on the surface of conventional and degradable plastic granules during long-term UV aging in various environmental media
Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional plastics generate secondary microplastics and develop bacterial biofilms during long-term UV aging. Biodegradable PBAT plastic produced significantly more secondary microplastic fragments than conventional PVC after 90 days of weathering. The study also found that aged microplastics harbored genes related to human pathogens, raising concerns that biodegradable plastics may actually pose greater ecological risks than expected.