By Neha MathurOct 16 2023Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLM In a recent article published in eBioMedicine, researchers in Xiamen, China, performed a cross-sectional study to assess microplastic concentrations in the feces of preschoolers, examine potential dietary factors affecting MP exposure in this age group, and explore any potential links between MP exposure and the gut microbiota.
Studies have suggested that infants and young children are more vulnerable to MP exposure due to their specific dietary behaviors. Additionally, a recent study showed that differences in breastmilk and formula milk contributed to the higher MP levels in the stools of infants, likely because polypropylene is one of the raw materials for infant formula bottles.
About the study In the present study, researchers also used Py-GC/MS to evaluate the presence of MPs in the stools of 69 preschool children aged three to six. Py-GC/MS method first degraded products at defined temperatures, separated them by gas chromatography , and then applied mass spectrometry to enable the detection of specific MPs of any particle size.
Children's parents and guardians received a stool sampling kit for stool collection. They collected the middle portion of the uncontaminated stools using the sterile stool collector for 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing and the part that did not come into contact with air or the plate for testing of MPs.
These products are used widely in children's care products and toys. For example, PA6 is a raw material for carpets, textiles, etc., and urban dust has abundant PET. Furthermore, this study evidenced a negative association between PVC exposure and the Chao1 and Observed_species indices, suggesting adverse effects of MP exposure on alpha diversity of gut microflora of preschool children, especially disturbances to probiotic taxa, such as Alistipes and Parabacteroides.