查看文章

Plastics are among the most commonly used materials by humans on a global scale. Massive production, poor biodegradability, little recycling have led to extensive contamination of our environment by plastic and its smaller degradation products, microplastics (MPs), and nanoplastics. MPs are simply ubiquitous in the air, water, and soil ecosystems; approximately 8 million tons of MPs end up in the ocean system each year. The entrance of the particles into the food chain, their movement, through different trophic levels, and their eventual entry into the human system influence our gut microbiome. Moreover, intestinal homeostasis and immune response (both local and systemic) are altered. Knowledge about the effects of MPs on living systems is vast and daunting, and it is only beginning to be understood. In this chapter we summarize the current knowledge on how MP particles are influencing the gut microbiome …