在過去一個世紀，塑膠製品之使用已廣為普及，在地球環境中無所不在，微型塑膠 (microscopic plastics) 係指粒徑小於 5 mm 的塑料碎片，由塑膠製品經裂解而產生。微型塑膠之污染近年成為國際關注的重要環保與健康議題。塑膠類產品所產生之塑膠微米粒 (microplastics, MPs) 與塑膠奈米粒 (nanoplastics, NPs) 可能藉由飲用水或食品接觸包材、食品容器具之釋出被人體攝食，或透過食物鏈進入人體，然微型塑膠對生物體健康之影響及暴露風險尚無明確定論。目前國際間尚未對食品中微型塑膠訂定限量規範，針對微型塑膠對人體健康危害效應及暴露風險尚無明確共識與可參考之風險評估方法。因此，為建立並了解食品中微型塑膠可能帶來之健康風險，本研究分析市售食品容器具與包裝中微型塑膠之釋出情形，並探討暴露微型塑膠對於動物腸道環境與功能之影響。本研究分析市售一次性塑膠淋膜紙杯/碗、一次性塑膠杯/碗、塑膠材質濾袋、瓶裝水及塑膠製奶瓶等 70 件直接與食品接觸之塑膠容器、器具及包裝材料，以拉曼光譜儀進行塑膠微米粒之定性與定量分析。此外，以口服方式給予小鼠粒徑 100 nm 之聚苯乙烯 (polystyrene, PS) NPs，分析 NPs 於小鼠臟器之分布情形，並探討 NPs 對小鼠腸道功能與腸道菌相 (gut microbiota) 之影響，及其與腸道微生物之交互作用。研究結果顯示，一次性塑膠淋膜紙杯/碗盛裝 25℃ 水後，釋出 0-2 顆塑膠微米粒，經盛裝 80/95℃ 水處理則釋出 0-6 顆塑膠微米粒；一次性塑膠杯/碗盛裝 25℃ 水後，釋出 0-16 顆塑膠微米粒，經盛裝 70/90℃ 水則釋出約 0-18 顆塑膠微米粒；塑膠材質濾袋經 95℃ 水沖泡後塑膠微米粒檢出率為 100%，平均釋出 120.4 顆，且大於 100 μm 之塑膠微米粒佔 57%；有 58% 之瓶裝水檢測出塑膠微米粒，平均數量為 30.8 particles/L，所含之塑膠微米粒材質以聚對苯二甲酸乙二酯 (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) 及聚丙烯 (polypropylene, PP) 為多；塑膠製奶瓶經 70℃ 水沖泡後，釋出 6-24 顆塑膠微米粒，大部分塑膠微米粒之粒徑小於 20 μm，顯示人體可能暴露於不同來源與種類之塑膠微米粒。動物實驗中，口服 NPs 後，小鼠的胃、小腸、盲腸、結腸、糞便、肝臟及睪丸偵測到 NPs，其中於消化道觀察到較大量的 NPs。而小鼠在暴露 NPs 12 週後，腸道黏液分泌量、腸道緊密接合蛋白 ZO-1 及黏蛋白 MUC13 之表現量，與控制組相比皆下降，顯示 NPs 影響腸道屏障功能 (barrier function)。小鼠經暴露 NPs 後腸道菌相組成亦改變，其中以 Lactobacillus species 有較明顯之減少，Ruminococcaceae 科增加；此外，有部分腸道細菌會攝入 NPs，有 42% 屬於 Lachnospiraceae 科、9% 屬於 Ruminococcaceae 科。共培養試驗證實，NPs 會透過影響腸道細胞而促進 Ruminococcaceae 之生長，改變腸道細菌之組成。綜合以上結果，NPs 誘導小鼠腸道菌相組成改變及腸道屏障功能下降，本研究成果可做為微型塑膠健康風險評估之參考依據，並為 NPs 對生物體之影響提供新的見解。

Microscopic plastics are the small plastic fragments (less than 5 mm in length), which are commonly found in not only drinking water or food containers, but also throughout the food chain. The impact of microscopic plastics on the human health and exposure risk are still unclear. To clarify the exposure level of microscopic plastics in human, the aim of this study was to analyze background of microscopic plastics in commercially available plastic containers, appliances, and packaging products that directly contact with food. In addition, this study explored the accumulation of nanoplastics in tissue of mice and the effects of nanoplastics on intestinal function and gut microbiota of mice. Raman spectrometer was used to qualitative and quantify the type and number of plastic particles that released from above plastic products and bottled water. The results showed that plastic food containers and packaging products released different size of microplastics. Collected bottled water samples were contaminated by different size and type of microplastics. In in vivo study, polystyrene nanoplastics (NPs) were detected in stomach, small intestine, cecum, colon, feces, liver, and testis of mice by oral gavage. The composition of gut microbiota was changed after treating with NPs on mice. Moreover, we found that Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae would ingest NPs which were account for 42% and 9% of gut microbes. The secretion of mucus and the expression of tight junction protein ZO-1 and mucin MUC13 were decreased after exposure to nanoplastics. Taken together, human may exposure to various microscopic plastics which have negative impact on the gut barrier and microbiota.

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