Microplastics and Gut Health: Exploring Microbial Disruptions Using SHIME

Microplastics (MPs) have become widespread environmental contaminants, with increasing evidence of their harmful impacts on human health. MPs generally enter the human body via ingestion, inhalation, or dermal exposure, with the gastrointestinal tract acting as a crucial entrance route. This work utilized the SHIME (Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem) model to evaluate the effects of polystyrene (PS) MPs on gut microbiota in distinct colonic areas.