As efforts to quantify the health effects of microplastics continue, Interesting Engineering highlighted first-of-its-kind research presented at a gastroenterology conference in Austria.

What's happening?

Although there's still so much that researchers simply don't know about microplastics, one thing is indisputable — they're everywhere.

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that typically result from the degradation of discarded plastic. 

Novel research conducted by the Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBMed) was presented during United European Gastroenterology Week 2025 on Oct. 6, examining the impact of microplastics on the human gut microbiome.

The team utilized the framework of a research project called microONE to investigate the effects of microplastics on the human digestive system, detailing their methodology and findings in an Oct. 7 press release.

Researchers selected five human volunteers described as "healthy," and collected stool samples to develop cultures ex vivo, or outside of the body. 

They introduced five common subsets of microplastics to the cultures: polystyrene, polypropylene, low-density polyethylene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and polyethylene terephthalate. 

In their research, the authors observed changes that "reflected patterns previously linked to diseases such as depression and colorectal cancer," which they warned emphasized the "potential implications of microplastic exposure for disease risk."

Why are these findings about microplastics important?

To say that microplastics are pervasive in our environment is, in essence, an understatement at this point.

Microplastics have been found at heavy concentrations on the ocean's surface and in its waters, in the soil, and in parts of the world hostile to human habitation. These contaminants are present in wildlife and have been identified in diverse human blood and tissue samples.

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Plastic is so present in modern life that it can be easy to dismiss such findings as predictable, but microplastics have only been on scientists' radar for a scant two decades.

Research into the ecological and health impacts of microplastics is robust and ongoing, but finding after finding points to an insidious global problem with sweeping adverse effects.

Lead author Christian Pacher-Deutsch acknowledged the gaps in understanding the effects of microplastics when discussing how microplastics could cause the outcomes observed in the team's research.

"At this stage, the exact pathways remain unclear, but several plausible explanations are emerging," he began, adding that most people are continuously exposed to microplastics via inhalation or ingestion. 

"Microplastics may change microbial composition by creating physical or chemical environments that favor certain bacteria," Pacher-Deutsch speculated.

What's being done about microplastic pollution?

"Reducing microplastic exposure where possible is therefore a wise and important precaution," Pacher-Deutsch advised, absent a broader policy to limit environmental exposure.

The United Nations has been working for years to enact a Global Plastics Treaty, but attempts thus far have stalled.

Using less plastic and replacing everyday items with plastic-free alternatives is one way to reduce direct exposure to microplastics.

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