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Characterization of Nanoprecipitated PET Nanoplastics by 1H NMR and Impact of Residual Ionic Surfactant on Viability of Human Primary Mononuclear Cells and Hemolysis of Erythrocytes
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Researchers produced and characterized nanoprecipitated PET nanoplastics using proton NMR, finding that the manufacturing process introduced surfactant contamination that significantly altered particle surface properties and must be accounted for in toxicological testing.
Manufactured nanoplastic particles (NPs) are indispensable for in vitro and in vivo testing and health risk assessment of this emerging environmental contaminant. High surface area and inherent hydrophobicity of plastic material, makes production of NPs devoid of any contaminants very challenging. In this study we produced nanoprecipitated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) NPs (300 nm hydrodynamic diameter) and characterized presence of ionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) by 1H NMR. Relative ratio of NP/surfactant was monitored on the basis of chemical shifts characteristic for PET and SDS. For a wide range of surfactant/NP ratio (1:17 to 1:1.2), measured zeta potential changed from -42.10 to -34.93 mV, but no clear differences were observed in cellular assays performed in protein-rich media on primary human cells. The remaining impurities contributed to the outcome of biological assays applied in protein-free buffers, such as human red blood cells hemolysis. As size, shape, zeta potential and contaminants of NPs may all be relevant parameters for biological effects of NPs, relative quantification of impurities exemplified in our work by application of 1H NMR for PET NPs and ionic surfactant SDS could be a valuable auxiliary method in quality control of manufactured NPs.
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Characterization of Nanoprecipitated PET Nanoplastics by 1H NMR and Impact of Residual Ionic Surfactant on Viability of Human Primary Mononuclear Cells and Hemolysis of Erythrocytes
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Researchers produced nanoscale polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles for laboratory toxicity testing and used NMR spectroscopy to characterize surfactant contamination on the particles. They found that residual sodium dodecyl sulfate surfactant, while not significantly affecting cell viability tests conducted in protein-rich media, did influence hemolysis assays in protein-free conditions. The study highlights the importance of detecting and accounting for surface contaminants when conducting health risk assessments of manufactured nanoplastics.
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Exposure of HepG2 human liver cells to PET nanoplastics for 72 hours caused dose-dependent reductions in cell viability, oxidative stress at higher concentrations, and significant DNA damage via comet assay, with an IC50 of 616.7 µg/mL. These in vitro findings indicate that PET nanoplastics — shed from the world's most widely used plastic — have genotoxic and cytotoxic potential in human liver tissue, warranting further investigation of carcinogenic risk at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Materials, surfaces, and interfacial phenomena in nanoplastics toxicology research
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This review examines how the materials and surface properties of engineered nanoplastics used in toxicology research may not accurately represent real environmental nanoplastics. Researchers found that surfactants, fluorescent labels, and surface modifications commonly applied to lab-made nanoparticles can alter their toxicological profiles in unpredictable ways. The study calls for greater attention to how particle surface chemistry and preparation methods influence experimental outcomes in nanoplastics safety research.
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