An estimated 10 to 40 million metric tons of microplastics and nanoplastics are released into the environment every year. These particles have been found in nearly every major human organ, and they are linked to chronic health conditions, including reproductive issues, cancer and heart disease. Because avoiding all plastic particles may be impossible, scientists are exploring ways to remove them from the body.

Scientists at the World Institute of Kimchi discovered that a specific probiotic bacterium (Leuconostoc mesenteroides) found in fermented kimchi can bind to polystyrene nanoplastics in the gut and help flush them out. In a study published in Bioresource Technology, the research team fed nanoplastics, along with the bacterium, to mice that were subjected to the highly acidic and turbulent intestinal conditions of humans. About 57 percent of the bacterium absorbed nanoplastics. The mice given the probiotic excreted more than double the amount of nanoplastics in their feces compared to the control group. Researchers recommended further studies with the human gut.