Papers

20 results
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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

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

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
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
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

Microplastics and microbiota: Unraveling the hidden environmental challenge

This editorial summarizes the emerging evidence that microplastics disrupt the gut microbiome, decreasing microbial diversity and triggering an imbalance called dysbiosis. This disruption affects immune function, nutrient metabolism, and overall health, though the full long-term consequences of this two-way relationship between microplastics and gut bacteria remain an active area of research.

2024 World Journal of Gastroenterology 23 citations
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

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

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

Microplastics and the gut microbiome: Emerging health concerns and strategies

This review covers how microplastic ingestion affects the gut microbiome, describing mechanisms by which microplastics cause intestinal disorders, disrupt endocrine function, and promote pathogenic bacterial growth, while also noting inhalation and dermal absorption as secondary exposure routes.

2025 Journal of Environmental Biology
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

Microplastics and the gut microbiome: How chronically exposed species may suffer from gut dysbiosis

This review explores how chronic microplastic exposure may disrupt the natural balance of gut bacteria in wildlife, a condition known as dysbiosis. Researchers suggest that ingesting microplastics can cause mechanical damage to the gastrointestinal tract, introduce foreign bacteria, and deliver chemical additives that disturb gut microbial communities. The study highlights that microplastic-induced gut dysbiosis could weaken immune systems, promote infections, and contribute to chronic health issues in exposed species.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 338 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction between microplastics and microorganism as well as gut microbiota: A consideration on environmental animal and human health

This review explores how microplastics interact with microorganisms in the environment and within the gut, examining implications for both animal and human health. Researchers found that microplastics can alter gut microbiota composition, promote the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and amplify the toxicity of other environmental pollutants. The study suggests that the interaction between microplastics and gut microorganisms is an important emerging area for understanding health risks.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 405 citations
Article Tier 2

Review: interactions between microplastics and the gastrointestinal microbiome

This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics interact with the gut microbiome in humans, mice, chickens, and aquatic animals. Evidence suggests that gut bacteria can break microplastics into smaller pieces, which may make them more likely to cross the intestinal wall and enter the body. The disruption of the gut microbiome by microplastics is particularly concerning because balanced gut bacteria are essential for immune function, digestion, and overall health.

2024 Italian Journal of Animal Science 14 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

The impact of microplastics on the mice gut microbiome: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis pools data from multiple mouse studies to assess how ingested microplastics affect gut bacteria. It found that microplastic exposure can alter the balance of the gut microbiome, which is important because gut health is closely tied to immune function, digestion, and overall well-being.

2025
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

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

[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

Micro(nano)plastics and their potential impact on human gut health: a narrative review

This narrative review synthesizes evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect the human gut, discussing ingestion routes, gut barrier interactions, microbiome disruption, and potential systemic health effects.

2024 Preprints.org