Our Summary
Nanoplastics, tiny plastic particles less than one micrometer in size, are now found throughout the human body including the gut, blood, and organs, and there are currently no established methods to help the body remove them. This 2026 study published in Bioresource Technology by South Korean researchers investigated whether a lactic acid bacterium isolated from kimchi, the traditional fermented Korean food, could capture and bind to nanoplastics in the intestine and help flush them out of the body. The specific strain identified, Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656, demonstrated an 87% nanoplastic adsorption efficiency under standard lab conditions, meaning it was able to bind to and trap the vast majority of nanoplastic particles it encountered. The bacterium maintained its high adsorption performance across a wide range of nanoplastic concentrations, temperatures, and pH levels, suggesting it would remain effective under the variable conditions of the human gut. Critically, when tested in germ-free mice, the strain significantly increased the amount of nanoplastics excreted in feces, providing direct biological evidence that this probiotic approach can actively move plastics out of the body rather than just binding them in isolation. The researchers caution that the work is still in early stages and that further studies are needed to confirm whether increased fecal excretion translates into reduced tissue accumulation, lower inflammation, and measurable health benefits in humans, but the findings open a promising avenue for using food-derived probiotics as a natural strategy against plastic accumulation.
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2026.134234
Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) are increasingly prevalent in ecosystems and human food chains and pose potential health risks, necessitating effective removal strategies applicable to both environmental and intestinal conditions. However, bacteria capable of functioning in both contexts remain poorly explored. Here, the food-derived bacterium Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656 exhibited high NP biosorption efficiency across a wide range of NP concentrations (10–200 ppm), pH values (3–9), and temperatures (4–55°C), along with rapid adsorption at short contact times. Biosorption behavior followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating predominantly physical adsorption. Under simulated intestinal fluid, strain CBA3656 outperformed other Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains, and in vivo experiments demonstrated significantly enhanced fecal excretion of NPs. These results identify strain CBA3656 as a promising microbial biosorbent for NP mitigation.
