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Tier 2
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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Detection Methods
Nanoplastics
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Characterization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide (PA) true-to-life nanoplastics and their biological interactions
Environmental Pollution2023
42 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 60
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Serena Ducoli,
Serena Ducoli,
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Serena Ducoli,
Serena Ducoli,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Stefania Federici
Serena Ducoli,
Serena Ducoli,
Serena Ducoli,
Serena Ducoli,
Serena Ducoli,
Serena Ducoli,
Serena Ducoli,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Serena Ducoli,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Stefania Federici
Serena Ducoli,
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Gennaro Gentile,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Gennaro Gentile,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Laura E. Depero,
Laura E. Depero,
Laura E. Depero,
Laura E. Depero,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Serena Ducoli,
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Serena Ducoli,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Laura E. Depero,
Laura E. Depero,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Andrea Zendrini,
Andrea Zendrini,
Andrea Zendrini,
Laura E. Depero,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Laura E. Depero,
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Serena Ducoli,
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Andrea Zendrini,
Serena Ducoli,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Serena Ducoli,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Gennaro Gentile,
Laura E. Depero,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Serena Ducoli,
Laura E. Depero,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Gennaro Gentile,
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Paolo Bergese,
Gennaro Gentile,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Laura E. Depero,
Gennaro Gentile,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Gennaro Gentile,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Stefania Federici
Laura E. Depero,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Paolo Bergese,
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Stefania Federici
Paolo Bergese,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Laura E. Depero,
Paolo Bergese,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Laura E. Depero,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Serena Ducoli,
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Laura E. Depero,
Laura E. Depero,
Laura E. Depero,
Laura E. Depero,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Gennaro Gentile,
Gennaro Gentile,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Laura E. Depero,
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Mariacristina Cocca,
Stefania Federici
Mariacristina Cocca,
Paolo Bergese,
Paolo Bergese,
Stefania Federici
Summary
Scientists created realistic nanoplastics from everyday PET and polyamide (nylon) products by physically grinding them at very cold temperatures, then thoroughly characterized their shape, size, and chemical properties. Unlike the uniform plastic spheres typically used in lab studies, these particles were irregular and varied in size, better representing what exists in the real environment. This work is important because it provides more realistic test materials for studying how nanoplastics actually interact with living cells and tissues.
Plastic and microplastics, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS), are major contributors to environmental pollution. However, there is a growing recognition of the need to investigate a wider range of plastic polymers to fully understand the extent and impacts of plastic pollution. This study focuses on the comprehensive characterization of true-to-life nanoplastics (T2LNPs) derived from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide (PA) to enhance our understanding of environmental nanoplastics pollution. T2LNPs were produced through cryogenic mechanical fragmentation of everyday items made from these polymers. A solid methodological framework incorporating various characterization techniques was established. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were employed to study the chemical composition and confirm the absence of chemical modifications possibly occurring during fragmentation. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to analyze the morphology of the T2LNPs. Additionally, AFM image analysis compared to dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements provided insights into the size distribution and the stability of the T2LNP suspensions. The results revealed the heterogeneity of T2LNPs derived from PET and PA, emphasizing the importance of studying different plastic compositions to comprehensively understand nanoplastics pollution. Lastly, the distinctive characteristics and morphology of T2LNPs were translated into the realm of biological interactions, offering initial insights into the influence of these disparities on the formation of the protein corona on the surface of T2LNPs. By proposing T2LNPs as test materials and establishing a comprehensive characterization approach, this study aims to bridge the knowledge gap regarding the behavior and toxicity of nanoplastics. Furthermore, it highlights the need for a reliable and transferable analytical package for nanoplastic characterization to facilitate future studies on the environmental impact of nanoplastics.