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Controlled protein mediated aggregation of polystyrene nanoplastics does not reduce toxicity towards Daphnia magna

Frankel, Rebecca LU ; Ekvall, Mikael T. LU ; Kelpsiene, Egle LU ; Hansson, Lars Anders LU orcid and Cedervall, Tommy LU (2020) In Environmental Science: Nano 7(5). p.1518-1524
Abstract

Microplastics have recently become a growing environmental issue, whereas the smaller fractions, nanoplastics, have received less attention. Due to their small size, nanoplastics may affect organisms differently and potentially more severely than larger microplastics. In natural environments nanoplastics also interact with organic material and form larger aggregates, which may, potentially, reduce their toxicity as they grow in size. We tested the change in toxicity towards Daphnia magna by controlling the size of the aggregates of positively charged 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics, which are highly toxic as single particles. We show that although 200 to 500 nm nanoplastics are not toxic, aggregates of 50 nm nanoplastics in the same size... (More)

Microplastics have recently become a growing environmental issue, whereas the smaller fractions, nanoplastics, have received less attention. Due to their small size, nanoplastics may affect organisms differently and potentially more severely than larger microplastics. In natural environments nanoplastics also interact with organic material and form larger aggregates, which may, potentially, reduce their toxicity as they grow in size. We tested the change in toxicity towards Daphnia magna by controlling the size of the aggregates of positively charged 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics, which are highly toxic as single particles. We show that although 200 to 500 nm nanoplastics are not toxic, aggregates of 50 nm nanoplastics in the same size range are at least as toxic as the free, 50 nm, nanoplastics. Hence, an increase in size through aggregation, a process likely to occur as nanoparticles enter natural ecosystems, does not reduce toxicity. In a broader context this finding provides a firm basis for societal decision making regarding the potency of nanoparticles as they enter natural ecosystems.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Environmental Science: Nano
volume
7
issue
5
pages
7 pages
publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
external identifiers
  • scopus:85085645881
ISSN
2051-8153
DOI
10.1039/c9en01236b
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c05cdf1d-a11a-4ebf-8fed-63b02177aa3d
date added to LUP
2020-06-11 09:27:29
date last changed
2024-04-03 07:29:04
@article{c05cdf1d-a11a-4ebf-8fed-63b02177aa3d,
  abstract     = {{<p>Microplastics have recently become a growing environmental issue, whereas the smaller fractions, nanoplastics, have received less attention. Due to their small size, nanoplastics may affect organisms differently and potentially more severely than larger microplastics. In natural environments nanoplastics also interact with organic material and form larger aggregates, which may, potentially, reduce their toxicity as they grow in size. We tested the change in toxicity towards Daphnia magna by controlling the size of the aggregates of positively charged 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics, which are highly toxic as single particles. We show that although 200 to 500 nm nanoplastics are not toxic, aggregates of 50 nm nanoplastics in the same size range are at least as toxic as the free, 50 nm, nanoplastics. Hence, an increase in size through aggregation, a process likely to occur as nanoparticles enter natural ecosystems, does not reduce toxicity. In a broader context this finding provides a firm basis for societal decision making regarding the potency of nanoparticles as they enter natural ecosystems.</p>}},
  author       = {{Frankel, Rebecca and Ekvall, Mikael T. and Kelpsiene, Egle and Hansson, Lars Anders and Cedervall, Tommy}},
  issn         = {{2051-8153}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{1518--1524}},
  publisher    = {{Royal Society of Chemistry}},
  series       = {{Environmental Science: Nano}},
  title        = {{Controlled protein mediated aggregation of polystyrene nanoplastics does not reduce toxicity towards Daphnia magna}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9en01236b}},
  doi          = {{10.1039/c9en01236b}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}