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Miniature Electrochemical Sensing Accelerates Detection of Toxic Responses Induced by Nanoplastics
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This perspective article discusses how miniature electrochemical sensors can accelerate the detection of toxic responses caused by nanoplastics in living organisms. The authors highlight that conventional methods struggle to monitor the chronic, low-level toxicity that nanoplastics cause over time. They advocate for multiplexed electrochemical techniques that can provide real-time, sensitive monitoring of how organisms respond to long-term nanoplastic exposure.
Emissions of plastic waste will reach ∼53 million metric t per year by 2030. Large pieces of plastics gradually decompose via photodegradation, oxidation, hydrolysis, and mechanical crushing to generate microplastics (MPLs, <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPLs, <1 μm). (1) These miniscule particles of plastic are ubiquitous within every compartment: rivers, oceans, soil, and the atmosphere. In addition to the size, composition, and morphology of MPLs and NPLs, toxic substances (such as metal ions, antibiotics, and pesticides) on the plastic surfaces pose a significant threat to both ecological systems and human health. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the dynamics of the plastic-induced toxic response of especially smaller plastic particles (NPLs). Nonetheless, the possibilities for detection of NPLs inducing chronic toxicity and corresponding biomarkers at exposure levels are limited and hinder in-depth investigation of the longer-term mechanisms that induce human and environmental toxicity. It is clear that a more thorough evaluation of exposure and effect levels requires multiplexing, signaling synergies, and more sensitive means of detection. In this Viewpoint, we advocate how electrochemical techniques contribute to the real-time monitoring of the toxicological evolution of organisms exposed to NPLs at low levels and for the long term.
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