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Following the fate of polystyrene micro and nanobeads during in vitro digestion
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Researchers tracked what happens to nano and micro polystyrene particles when they pass through simulated human digestion, finding that while the particles themselves showed no direct toxicity to intestinal cells, a range of chemical additives and breakdown products (including styrene monomers and plasticisers like phthalates) were released and transferred across the intestinal cell layer. This means the hazard from ingesting plastics may come not just from the particles but from the cocktail of chemical substances they release during digestion. The findings are directly relevant to human health risk assessment for dietary microplastic exposure.
The objective of this project was to follow the fate of nano and microplastic particles during gastrointestinal transfer. Polystyrene latex nano (60 nm) and micro (1 μm) beads were employed as model system for microplastic particles and mixed (68 mg/mL) with 5 % (w/v) whey protein solution to study the food effect. The digestion of this mixture was then subjected to the INFOGEST in vitro digestion protocol. Residual particles in the digesta were then loaded on 21 days differentiated co-cultures of Caco-2/HT29-MTX, to further determine their potential transfer through intestinal monolayers. Digested samples diluted 1:16, showed no cytotoxic effect on Caco-2 cells, possibly due to the presence of a protective mucus layer. Digestion and permeability experiments were further analysed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and different monomers (styrene), styrene oligomers (1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol; 1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene; 1,2-diphenylcyclopropane; α-methyl benzenemethanol), other intentionally added substances (caprolactam, benzaldehyde, di(2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate) and non-intentionally added substances (e.g. 2,4-di-tert butylphenol, isophthalaldehyde) were identified. Analysis of the basolateral fraction indicated a notable transfer of these compounds through cell membranes. This holistic approach using a food matrix to follow the fate of microplastic during digestion leads to a better understanding of the risks of microplastics and nanoplastics through food.
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