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UVB-Aged Microplastics and Cellular Damage: An in Vitro Study
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Researchers compared the cellular damage caused by UV-aged versus new microplastic particles using lab-grown human cells. They found that UV-aged microplastics caused significantly more DNA damage and oxidative stress than pristine particles, likely due to chemical changes on their surfaces during weathering. The findings suggest that environmentally weathered microplastics may pose greater health risks than freshly produced ones.
Plastics are synthetic organic compounds whose widespread use generates enormous waste. Different processes, such as mechanical abrasion, microbiological activity, and UVB irradiation, can fragment the plastic material and generate microplastics (MPs). MPs are ubiquitous, and various organisms, including humans, can ingest or inhale them, with potential adverse health effects. The differences between UV-aged and virgin particles were studied to evaluate the genotoxic damage and oxidative stress induced by polystyrene MPs with 1 and 5 µm sizes on the monocyte-like cell line (THP-1). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Ζ-potential measurements were used to characterise MP particles after UVB exposure. Cells exposed to MPs show a widespread change in the cellular environment with the generation of reactive oxidative species (ROS), as indicated by the increased malondialdehyde level. The occurrence of genotoxic damage is correlated to the smaller size and ageing state of the MPs. The biochemical and genomic alterations observed in this in vitro study suggest that MPs, ubiquitous pollutants, following natural degradation and oxidation processes can cause various adverse effects on the health of the exposed population, making it necessary to carry out further studies to better define the real risk.
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UVB-aged microplastics and cellular damage : An in vitro study
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Researchers conducted in vitro experiments to assess whether UVB-aged microplastics cause greater cellular damage than unaged plastics, given that UV irradiation fragments and chemically alters plastic surfaces. The study found that UVB aging enhanced the capacity of microplastics to cause cellular toxicity.
Polyethylene, whose surface has been modified by UV irradiation, induces cytotoxicity: A comparison with microplastics found in beaches
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Researchers showed that polyethylene microplastics degraded by UV light, mimicking what happens to plastics in the environment, were toxic to immune and skin cells in lab tests. Fresh, undegraded plastic particles did not cause the same harm, meaning weathered microplastics found in nature are likely more dangerous than the pristine plastics typically used in lab studies. This suggests that real-world human exposure to environmentally aged microplastics may carry greater health risks than current research indicates.
UVB-aged polystyrene microplastics induce enhanced stress responses in human proximal tubular cells
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Scientists exposed human kidney cells to microplastics that had been sun-weathered, similar to what happens to plastic waste outdoors. The aged plastic particles caused more cell stress and DNA damage than fresh plastic, suggesting that sunlight exposure may make microplastics more harmful to our kidneys. This matters because most safety testing uses unweathered plastic, potentially underestimating real-world risks.
New insights into the size-independent bioactive potential of pristine and UV-B aged polyethylene microplastics
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Scientists tested how UV light aging changes polyethylene microplastics and their effects on human immune cells (lymphocytes) from blood samples. Both new and UV-aged microplastics reduced cell viability and triggered DNA damage, regardless of particle size. This suggests that microplastics in the environment may harm human immune cells whether they are freshly produced or have been weathered by sunlight.
Unraveling the impacts of photolysis-induced aging microplastics on enhanced immunotoxicity and nephrotoxicity
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Researchers compared the toxicity of pristine and sun-aged polyethylene and PET microplastics on kidney cells and immune cells and found that aged particles were up to 40 percent more toxic. The increased harm was attributed to environmentally persistent free radicals that form on plastic surfaces during UV exposure, which amplify oxidative stress inside cells. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in the real environment may pose greater health risks than the pristine particles typically used in laboratory studies.
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