We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Multispectroscopic Investigations of the Binding Interaction between Polyethylene Microplastics and Human Hemoglobin
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists used multiple spectroscopic techniques to investigate whether polyethylene microplastics can bind to human hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in blood. They found that microplastic particles do interact with hemoglobin, altering its structural shape and potentially affecting its function. The findings raise questions about what might happen when microplastics enter the human bloodstream and interact with essential blood proteins.
In this investigation, different multispectroscopic analytical techniques have been used to explore the interaction between polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and human hemoglobin (HHb), an oxygen carrier in the human blood circulatory system. Ultraviolet-visible absorption studies have demonstrated that HHb molecules may interact with PE-MPs, and thermal melting studies have indicated that PE-MPs have a stabilizing effect on HHb. Further circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies have revealed the distinct changes in HHb's secondary structures caused by the formation of the HHb-PE-MP binding complex. These findings imply that PE-MPs could enter the blood circulation system of humans and may be hazardous to humans. This work explains the potential binding interaction of microplastics at the molecular level and offers insight into the intermolecular interaction between PE-MPs and HHb.
More Papers Like This
Molecular Interaction of Functionalized Nanoplastics with Human Hemoglobin
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists investigated how functionalized nanoplastic particles interact with human hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in blood. Using multiple spectroscopic techniques, they found that nanoplastics bind to hemoglobin and alter its structure, with amine-functionalized particles showing the strongest binding. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure could potentially interfere with hemoglobin function, raising questions about the effects of plastic particles in the bloodstream.
Interactions of nanoplastics with human albumin and hemoglobin: Structural and spectroscopic insights
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) can physically attach to two key proteins in human blood, albumin and hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen), and actually change their shape. This matters because a protein's shape determines how well it works in the body, so these changes could potentially affect how blood proteins function, though more research is needed to confirm real-world health effects. It's an early but important clue in understanding how the plastic pollution we're increasingly exposed to might interact with our bodies at the molecular level.
Probing the toxic interactions between polyvinyl chloride microplastics and Human Serum Albumin by multispectroscopic techniques
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists used multiple spectroscopic techniques to characterize how PVC microplastics interact with human serum albumin (the most abundant protein in blood), finding that PVC binds to albumin, alters its structure, and may affect the protein's ability to carry drugs and nutrients.
Multispectroscopic investigations of the binding interaction between microplastics and actin protein
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles can physically bind to actin, a protein that helps give our cells structure and lets them move. Some plastic types (like polystyrene) stuck more strongly than others, and this binding actually changed the protein's shape. This matters because if microplastics build up in our cells and distort important proteins, it could interfere with how cells normally function.
Poly(vinyl chloride) microplastics induce structural and functional alterations in myoglobin
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed myoglobin—an oxygen-binding protein in heart and skeletal muscle—to polyvinyl chloride microplastics and found significant structural and functional alterations, raising concerns about how PVC particles accumulating in tissues could disrupt cellular oxygen transport.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.