How nanoplastics alter the gut microbiome and threaten health

The health effects of nanoplastics have traditionally been assessed in marine life -

Recent in vitro studies using culturesThe fish and mammalian cells allowed the scientists to analyze the changes in gene expression associated with the presence of nanoplastics from a toxicological perspective.Most of the neurological, endocrine, and immunological tracts in these vertebrates are very similar to those in humans.Scientists warn that some of the effects observed in, for example, fish canobserved in humans. 

Mariana Teles, researcher of the AutonomousUniversity of Barcelona (UAB) and one of the authors of the study, emphasizes that “this article does not aim to raise the alarm, but seeks to warn that plastic, which is found in almost everything that a person touches, does not disintegrate, and we constantly we are exposed to it. At this point, we can only speculate about the long-term effects of this on human health, although we already have evidence in several studies describing hormonal levels and immune changes in fish exposed to nanoplastics that can be applied to humans. ”

After entering the intestines, up to 90% of plasticfragments that enter the intestine are excreted from the body. However, some of the rest are fragmented into nanoplastics, which, due to their small size and molecular properties, are able to penetrate cells. The study described changes in food absorption, as well as inflammatory reactions in the intestinal walls, changes in the composition and functioning of its microbiome, and effects on metabolism and immunity.

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