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Development and application of cryomilled heterogeneous micro- and nanoplastics labeled with upconverting nanoparticles for tracking interactions with freshwater plankton
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Researchers created tiny plastic particles labeled with special glowing nanoparticles to track them inside freshwater algae and small animals called rotifers. The labeled plastics showed little toxicity at tested doses, and microscopy showed algae clumping near the plastic particles and particles being taken up by rotifers, distinguishing plastics from other matter.
Micro- and nanoplastics ( MNPs ) pose environmental and health risks, yet their detection and tracking in biological matrices remain challenging. To facilitate the study of their fate, model luminescent MNPs are frequently used; however, they often lack environmental relevance and are limited by the drawbacks of conventional fluorescence labeling. Here, we developed more realistic, non-uniform, and luminescent MNP models – top-down-prepared polystyrene MNPs labeled with upconverting nanoparticles ( UCNPs ) – to track their distribution, uptake, and effects in freshwater microalgae and rotifers. Thanks to their ability to convert near-infrared to visible light, narrow emission bands, and high photostability, NaYF 4 :Yb 3+ ,Er 3+ @NaYF 4 UCNPs enabled precise, background-free visualization. Model MNPs were prepared by cryomilling, which simulated environmental abrasion, producing mostly small microplastics and increasing the nanoplastics fraction with prolonged milling. The preparation approach also influenced the surface charge of PS:UCNPs. Spectroscopic and TEM analyses confirmed successful labeling. PS:UCNPs showed negligible toxicity toward both green microalgae and rotifers across the tested concentration range of 3.125–100 µg/mL. Fluorescence microscopy revealed microalgal agglomeration near PS:UCNPs clusters and indicated particle internalization by rotifers. Embedding UCNPs in the polymer matrix enabled a clear distinction between plastics and organic matter. Our findings demonstrate the significant potential of UCNP-labeled MNPs for monitoring interactions of MNPs in complex aquatic environments.
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This study developed fluorescently labeled plastic nanoparticles made from PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene that can be tracked in biological environments to study how nanoplastics are taken up and processed by living organisms. Having trackable model nanoplastics is an important tool for understanding how these particles move through tissues and food chains.
Investigation of a method for fluorescently labeling polyethylene and polypropylene nanoplastic particles for biological impact assessment research.
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Researchers created tiny particles of two common plastics, polyethylene and polypropylene, including versions aged with UV light, then tested a method to add fluorescent dye to them. The dye labeling stayed stable even after washing with solvents, offering a lab tool for future studies on how these plastic particles affect living cells or organisms.
Upconverting vs. fluorescent labels for visualizing distribution and uptake of nanoplastics: a Daphnia magna case study
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Scientists studying how tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) get absorbed by living creatures have struggled to actually "see" these particles inside body tissue, because normal glow-in-the-dark tracking dyes get lost in the body's natural glow. This study created a new type of glowing tag that only lights up under special infrared light, allowing researchers to clearly track nanoplastics moving through a small water organism's gut for the first time. This matters because better tools to see where nanoplastics travel in living bodies could eventually help scientists understand how these particles might affect human health too, since we're exposed to the same types of plastics through food
Upconverting vs. fluorescent labels for visualizing distribution and uptake of nanoplastics: a Daphnia magna case study
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Scientists studying nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles too small to see) usually track them in living organisms by tagging them with glowing dyes, but these dyes get lost in the body's own natural glow, making it hard to know exactly where the plastic ends up. In this study, researchers created a new type of glowing tag that uses special light-converting particles, and tested it in water fleas (a common lab organism), finding it showed up much more clearly in the gut than traditional dyes, without harming the animals. This matters because better tools to track where nanoplastics travel in living bodies could eventually help scientists understand how these particles move through the
Challenges in assessing ecological and health risks of microplastics and nanoplastics: tracking their dynamics in living organisms
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Researchers proposed a new method for tracking micro- and nanoplastics in living organisms using fluorescent monomers built directly into the plastic particles during synthesis. Current detection methods require destructive sampling and only provide static snapshots, missing the real-time movement of particles through biological systems. This fluorescent monomer approach is designed to enable continuous, stable imaging of plastic particles as they move through complex biological environments.
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