As awareness of the negative impact of plastic pollution on the environment and the health of humans and animals has increased, there has been a rush to create alternatives to petroleum-based materials, which can serve as suitable substitutes, often called “bioplastics.”

The long-term effects of these non-petroleum plastics made from plants like sugarcane and corn have largely remained unstudied until now, partially due to their recent development and use. Researchers at Southeast University in Nanjing, China, recently published a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry measuring the health impact of starch-based microplastics on animals when ingested.

The researchers, led by author Yongfeng Deng, conducted a trial on three groups of five mice, feeding one group regular chow, the second group a scaled dose of starch-based microplastics, and the third group a high dose of microplastics. After three months, the team assessed the mice’s organ tissues, metabolic functions, and gut microbiota diversity to better understand how microplastic particles from these bioplastics affect the health of humans and other animals when ingested.