Recent research has shown that nanoplastics, generated by the fragmentation of common plastic waste, have an extraordinary ability to absorb heavy metal ions, which can penetrate the human body
We already knew that the nanoplastics, plastic particles smaller than a thousandth of a millimeter, represent a serious threat to the environment and human health. In fact, they can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics, accumulate in vital organs such as placenta, brain and cardiovascular system, and alter the intestinal microbioma.
But now a new research, conducted by the New Jersey Institute of Technology and published on ACS ES & T Water Journal, raises a further, disturbing, alarm: the Nanoplastics produced by real plastic waste have an extraordinary ability of absorb ions of heavy metals because of their irregular shape.
Scientists have obtained irregular nanoplastics by grinding common plastic objects – pets in pets, polystyrene boxes and polypropylene containers – without subjecting them to further treatments. The resulting particles were then exposed to solutions containing heavy metals, at realistic concentrations.
The results? Stunning. The polypropylene has shown the greater absorption capacity: well 396.1 micrograms of lead per gram of plastic. And above all the 99% of the lead was absorbed in just 5 minutes.
The reason for this effectiveness, according to researchers, is as premised the irregular form of the particles that naturally form by the daily fragmentation of plastic, which facilitates the formation of chemical ties with metal ions.
The problem is that, once linked, these metals they can be transported to the human body Through the food chain, making the nanoplastics of silent but dangerous vehicles of toxic contaminants.
These results open alarming scenarios and make a concrete intervention even more urgent on common use plastics.
SOURCE: ACS Publications/Modern Sciences
