21/09/2026
🥬🦠 Did you know? Scientists have discovered that a beneficial bacterium isolated from kimchi may be able to bind to nanoplastics and help carry them through the digestive tract.
The interesting part is that the bacteria don't appear to “destroy” the plastic. Instead, they act more like a microscopic biological magnet. Plastic particles attach to the surface of the bacterial cells, potentially making them easier to move through the gut and eliminate.
🧪 A 2026 study published in Bioresource Technology investigated several lactic acid bacteria isolated from kimchi, including Leuconostoc mesenteroides CBA3656. In laboratory experiments, this strain showed an 87% adsorption efficiency for polystyrene nanoplastics under standard conditions.
Even more interesting, researchers tested the bacteria under conditions designed to resemble the human intestine. CBA3656 still maintained about 57% adsorption, while another bacterial strain tested dropped to just 3%.
The researchers then tested the strain in germ-free mice. Animals receiving the kimchi-derived bacterium excreted more than twice as much nanoplastic in their f***s compared with untreated mice, suggesting that the bacteria may help es**rt these particles out of the digestive tract.
💡 Try this: Kimchi is already a source of diverse lactic acid bacteria, so including traditionally fermented kimchi in a balanced diet can be an easy way to add fermented foods to your meals.
The fascinating part is that researchers are now exploring whether beneficial microbes from fermented foods could have roles beyond digestion—including interacting with environmental contaminants inside the gut.
This is still an emerging area of research, but the idea of using naturally occurring bacteria to help capture tiny plastic particles is certainly fascinating. 🥬🔬