Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics and disturbance of gut microbiota: a pilot study of preschool children in Xiamen, China

In a study of preschool children in Xiamen, China, researchers found microplastics in the stool of every child tested, with polycarbonate and PVC being the most common types. Children who frequently used plastic containers and ate takeout food had higher microplastic levels. The study also found that higher microplastic exposure was linked to changes in gut bacteria, including lower levels of beneficial microbes.

2023 EBioMedicine 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Take-out containers as nano- and microplastics reservoirs: Diet-driven gut dysbiosis in university students

Researchers analyzed stool samples from 24 university students and found microplastics in every sample, with students who frequently ate from plastic take-out containers having significantly higher levels. The most common plastic type was PET, likely from food packaging. Higher microplastic levels were associated with changes in gut bacteria composition, suggesting that everyday habits like eating take-out food could disrupt gut health through microplastic exposure.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-associated gut microbial profile and antibiotic resistance in preschool children: a multicentre cross-sectional study in China

In a multicentre study of 335 preschool children across three Chinese cities, researchers detected eight types of microplastics in fecal samples at a median concentration of 212.1 micrograms per gram. The study found that microplastic exposure was associated with changes in gut microbiota composition and function, including metabolic pathways related to macronutrients and vitamins, as well as a relationship with antibiotic resistance gene abundance.

2026 EBioMedicine
Systematic Review Tier 1

Impact of microplastics on the human gut microbiome: a systematic review of microbial composition, diversity, and metabolic disruptions

This systematic review of 12 studies found that microplastics including polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC induce gut dysbiosis in humans, reducing beneficial bacteria and enriching pathogens. Microplastic exposure also impairs short-chain fatty acid production and modulates immune pathways, contributing to intestinal disease, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation.

2025 BMC Gastroenterology 19 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

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

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

Microplastics in stools and their influencing factors among young adults from three cities in China: A multicenter cross-sectional study

In a study of 78 college students across three Chinese cities, microplastics were detected in the stool of nearly every participant, with a median concentration of about 55 micrograms per gram. People who ate more takeout food had significantly higher microplastic levels in their stool. This is one of the first studies to measure the actual mass of microplastics passing through young adults' digestive systems, confirming that diet and food packaging directly influence human exposure.

2024 Environmental Pollution 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to High-molecular-weight Polyvinyl Chloride Alters Bacterial Diversity in the Gut Microbiota of the Wistar Rat

Researchers exposed Wistar rats to high-molecular-weight polyvinyl chloride microplastics through their diet and measured changes in gut microbiota diversity and composition. PVC microplastic ingestion significantly altered bacterial diversity in the gut microbiome, supporting the hypothesis that microplastic exposure can disrupt intestinal microbial ecology with potential consequences for host health.

2024 Rocznik Ochrona Środowiska
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

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

Impacts of polystyrene microplastic on the gut barrier, microbiota and metabolism of mice

Researchers exposed mice to polystyrene microplastics for six weeks and found that the particles accumulated in the gut, reduced protective mucus secretion, and damaged the intestinal barrier. The microplastics also significantly altered the composition of gut bacteria, decreasing beneficial species and increasing harmful ones. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion could disrupt gut health in mammals by simultaneously impairing the physical barrier and reshaping the microbiome.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 986 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastic on Human Gut Microbiome: Detection of Plastic-Degrading Genes in Human Gut Exposed to Microplastics—Preliminary Study

Researchers analyzed stool samples from Indonesian coastal and highland populations to examine the relationship between microplastic contamination and gut microbiome composition. While microplastics did not significantly alter overall gut microbial diversity, specific plastic types correlated with changes in certain bacterial genera including Roseburia and Prevotella. Notably, the study detected genes encoding plastic-degrading enzymes in the human gut microbiome for the first time, suggesting the gut microbial community may be adapting to microplastic exposure.

2022 Environments 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic Reprogramming in Gut Microbiota Exposed to Polystyrene Microplastics

This pilot study exposed common gut bacteria to polystyrene microplastics in the lab and found that the plastics reduced bacterial growth in a dose-dependent manner and disrupted key metabolic pathways. When gut bacteria from mice were tested, microplastic exposure shifted the microbial community balance, reducing beneficial species. These results suggest that microplastics ingested through food and water could alter the gut microbiome, which plays an important role in digestion, immunity, and overall health.

2025 Biomedicines 8 citations
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

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

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

Exploring Bacterial Interactions with Microplastics in the Human Gut Microbiome

This review explored how microplastics interact with bacteria in the human gut microbiome, examining evidence that plastic particles can alter microbial community composition, enable colonization by pathogens, and facilitate horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. The gut microbiome appears to be a significant site of microplastic-microorganism interaction.

2024 Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. C, Physiology and Molecular Biology/Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. C, Physiology and Molecular Biology 1 citations
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

Microplastic Toxicity on Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Cells: Evidence from the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME)

Researchers used a simulator of the human intestinal ecosystem to study how polystyrene microplastics affect gut bacteria and intestinal cells. They found that microplastic exposure caused region-specific shifts in gut microbial diversity, altered the ratio of key bacterial groups, and reduced beneficial bacteria. When gut fluids from the simulator were applied to intestinal cell models, they caused increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.

2025 Toxics 1 citations
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 metabolic health risks from chronic low-dose microplastic exposure with focus on Desulfovibrio spp.

Researchers investigated the effects of long-term, low-dose polystyrene microplastic intake on gut bacteria and metabolism in mice. They found that even low doses significantly altered the gut microbiome, increasing bacteria linked to gastrointestinal inflammation and colorectal cancer risk, while also disrupting lipid and amino acid metabolism. The study suggests that routine microplastic exposure through food and water could quietly shift gut health in ways associated with chronic metabolic conditions.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Interactions between polystyrene-derived micro- and nanoplastics and the microbiota: a systematic review of multi-omics mouse studies

Researchers systematically reviewed 15 mouse studies and found that exposure to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics consistently disrupted gut bacteria — reducing beneficial species like Lactobacillus and increasing harmful ones — while also altering metabolic pathways throughout the body. Nanoplastics caused more severe microbiome disruption than larger microplastics, highlighting a serious health concern for humans.

2026 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C