Potential effects of MPs and their co-pollutants on human intestinal tract

Lixiang Wang; Jiayu Li; Chao Liu; Wanshun Li; Yi Lu; Zhenghui Yang; Zhendong Jin; Haojie Huang

doi:10.1515/reveh-2024-0154

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Article

Potential effects of MPs and their co-pollutants on human intestinal tract

Lixiang Wang , Jiayu Li , Chao Liu , Wanshun Li , Yi Lu , Zhenghui Yang , Zhendong Jin and Haojie Huang

Published/Copyright: October 29, 2025

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From the journal Reviews on Environmental Health

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs), which are tiny plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm, have sparked public concern in recent years. When exposed to the environment, MPs absorb a variety of pollutants, leading to joint damage to human digestive system and other tissues. Human exposure to MPs mainly through food intake, resulting in potential risk of intestinal tract. Research have demonstrated that MPs compromise intestinal integrity and disrupt microbiota, as well as traverse into systemic circulation, posing threat to other tissues in our body. Morever, the MPs also serve as the “carrier” of the pollutants in the environment, such as organic compound, heavy metal and marine pollutant. The interaction between co-pollutants and MPs will influence their physical and chemical properties, producing dual toxic effects on intestinal system. However, the uptake and digestion process of MPs and their co-pollutants in the human body, the extent and mechanism of intestinal damage remain obscure. This review synthesizes current knowledge on MPs’ uptake and digestion process in the gut, elucidating the pathogenesis of MPs and their co-pollutant induced damage on intestinal physical, microbiota and immune barrier.

Keywords: mps; nano-plastics; enterotoxicity; gut microbiota

Corresponding author: Zhendong Jin and Haojie Huang, Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Institute of Pancreatic Diseases, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China; and National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China, E-mail: zhendongjin@163.com (Z. Jin), Hhuanghaojie@163.com (H. Huang)

Lixiang Wang, Jiayu Li and Chao Liu contributed equally to this work and should be considered co-first authors. Zhendong Jin and Haojie Huang contributed equally to this work and should be considered as co-corresponding author.

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: Lixiang Wang: Investigation, Validation, formal analysis, writing – original draft, Visualization, Writing – review, and editing. Jiayu Li: writing – original draft, Writing – review, and editing. Chao Liu: writing – original draft, Writing – review, and editing. Wanshun Li: writing – original draft. Yi Lu: writing – original draft. Zhenghui Yang: writing – original draft. Zhen dong Jin: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, formal analysis, Supervision, and writing – review, and editing. Hao jie Huang: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, formal analysis, Supervision, and writing – review, and editing.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: None declared.
Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2024-10-24

Accepted: 2025-03-31

Published Online: 2025-10-29

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https://doi.org/10.1515/reveh-2024-0154

Keywords for this article

mps; nano-plastics; enterotoxicity; gut microbiota