Table 2 Overview of in vivo studies of the effects of nano- and microplastic exposure on the gut microbiota (metagenomic analyses). *This has been calculated by the authors based on Bachmanov AA et al. Behav Genet 2002 [73]
From: Immunotoxicity and intestinal effects of nano- and microplastics: a review of the literature
Reference | Nano-micro plastics | Dosage | Duration of exposure | Route of exposure | Species | Effects on bacterial diversity | Effects on bacterial phyla composition | Effects on bacterial genera composition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Invertebrates | ||||||||
Zhu et al., Soil Biology and Biochemistry 2018 [97] | Polyvinyl chloride particles 80 to 250 μm | 1 μg/kg dry soil | 56 days | Soil | Springtail (Folsomia candida) | Alpha diversity ↑ (p < 0.01) | ↓ Bacteroidetes ↑ Firmicutes | (Family level: ↑ Bacillaceae) |
Ju et al., Environ. Pollut. 2019 [98] | Polyethylene < 500 μm | 0.5% dry weight in soil | 28 days | Soil | Springtail, (Folsomia candida) | Chao1 diversity index ↓ Phylogenetic diversity whole-tree index↓ | No data | ↓Wolbachia ↑Bradyrhizobiaceae, Ensifer and Stenotrophomonas |
Liu et al., Sci.Total Environ. 2019 [99] | Polystyrene 5 μm | 40 mg/L | 21 days | Tank water | Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) | Shannon diversity index: ↓ | ↑ Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, Fusobacteria and Proteobacteria ↓ Nitrospirae, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes | 25 significantly different |
Vertebrates | ||||||||
Huang et al., Sc Total Environ. 2020 [80] | Polystyrene; 32–40 μm | 100 and 1000 μg/L | 28 days | Tank water | Juvenile guppy (Poecilia reticulata) | Shannon diversity index: ↓ Simpson diversity index↑ | ↑ Proteobacteria ↓ Actinobacteria | ↑ Gemmobacter and Rhodobacter |
Wan et al., Chemosphere 2019 [100] | Polystyrene 5 and 50 μm | 1000 μg/L | 7 days | Tank water | Larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) | Chao1 diversity index: ↓ (5 μm) | No significant variation | 5 μm: ↓Sphaerotilus, Haliangium and Leptothrix ↑Methyloversatilis, Polynucleobacter, Legionella and Ottowia 50 μm: ↓ Pseudomonas ↑ Flectobacillus and Methylophilus 5 and 50 μm: ↓ Methylobacterium |
Gu et al., J. Hazard. Mater. 2020 [82] | Polystyrene 100 nm | 5.5 × 10− 12 mg/L | 14 days | Tank water | Large yellow Croaker (Larimichthys croceus) | Chao1 diversity index ↓ No variation of Shannon diversity index | ↑ Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes ↓ Proteobacteria | ↑ Lactobacillus, Parabacteroides, Alistipes |
Kang et al. J Hazard. Mater. 2020 [83] | Polystyrene 50 nm (NP) and 45 μm (MP) | 2.5 μg/mL | 14 days | Artificial sea water | Medaka (Oryzias. melastigma) | Alpha diversity ↑ (MP only) | ↓ Bacteroidetes (NP and MP), | NP and MP: ↓ Vicingus, Shewanella ↑ Lewinella, Pseudomonas, Thalassospira, Parahaliea. |
Jin et al., Environ. Pollut. 2018 [84] | Polystyrene 0,5 and 50 μm | 1000 mg/L | 14 days | Tank water | Zebrafish (Danio rerio) | Shannon diversity index: ↑ | ↑ Firmicutes, ↓ γ-Proteobacteria | 29 significantly different |
Qiao, Sheng, et al., Sci.Total Environ. 2019 [85] | Polystyrene 5 μm | 50–500 μg/L | 21 days | Tank water | Zebrafish (Danio rerio) | Shannon diversity index: ↓ 17–29% in the 50 and 500 μg/L MP groups respectively (p < 0.05) | ↑ Fusobacteria ↓ Proteobacteria | (Family level: ↑ 12 ↓ 13) |
Qiao, Deng, et al., Chemosphere. 2019 [59] | Polystyrene fibre 20-100 μm | 10 μg/L | 21 days | Tank water | Zebrafish (Danio rerio) | Abundance coverage-based estimator: ↑ 107.5% in the fibre-MP group (p < 0.05) Simpson’s diversity index: ↓ 45.7% in the fibre-MP group (p < 0.05) | ↑ Proteobacteria, ↓ Actinobacteria, | ↑ Gordonia ↓ Aeromonas, Pseudomonas |
Jin et al., Sci.Total Environ. 2019 [60] | Polystyrene 5 μm | 1000 μg/L ~  266 μg/kg bw/day* | 6 weeks | Drinking water | ICR Mice (Mus musculus) | Phylogenetic diversity whole-tree index ↓ | ↓ α−Proteobactria γ-Proteobacteria | ↓ Parabacteroides, Prevotella, Dehalobacterium, Turicibacter, Bifidobacterium, Phascolarctobacterium, Lachnospira, Haemophilus, Adlercreutzia, Megamonas, Blautia, Dialister and Veillonella ↑ Coprococcus and Anaeroplasma |
Lu et al., Sci.Total Environ. 2018 [91] | Polystyrene 0.5 and 50 μm | 1000 μg/L ~  266 μg/kg bw/day* | 5 weeks | Drinking water | ICR Mice (Mus musculus) | No data | ↓ Firmicutes, α-Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria | ↓ Oscillospira and Anaerostipes ↑ Parabacteroides, Prevotella, Dehalobacterium, Ruminococcus, Bilophila, Bifidobacterium, Adlercreutzia, Plesiomona, Halomonas and Acinetobacter (after both 0.5 and 50 μm polystyrene MP exposure) |
Luo et al., Environ. Sci. Technol 2019 [101] | Pristine polystyrene microspheres 5 μm | 1000 μg/L ~  266 μg/kg bw/day* | Gestation and lactation 6 weeks (analysis of dams) | Drinking water | ICR Mice (Mus musculus) | Shannon diversity index: no significant variation | No significant variation of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes ↑ Actinobacteria ↑ Epsilonbacteraeota | 14 significantly different |
Li et al., Chemosphere. 2020 [93] | Polyethylene 10–150 μm | 2–20-200 μg/g feed ~  0.0004, 0.004 and 0.04 μg/kg bw/day* | 5 weeks | Feed | C57BL/6 Mice (Mus musculus) | Shannon diversity index: ↑ in the 200 μg/g MP (p < 0.05) | ↑ Firmicutes (20–200 μg/g), ↑Melainabacteria (3 dosages) ↓ Bacteroidetes (20–200) | ↑ Staphylococcus ↓ Parabacteroides (3 dosages) |
Deng et al., Environment International 2020 [94] | Polyethylene 45–53 μm | 100 mg/kg/day 5.25 104 particles/day | 30 days | Gavage | CD-1 mice (Mus musculus) | Shannon diversity index: no significant variation | ↑ Actinobacteria | ↑ Lactobacillus ↑ Adlercreutzia ↑ Butyricimonas ↑ Parabacteroides |