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Aging of Nanoplastics Significantly Affects Protein Corona Composition Thus Enhancing Macrophage Uptake
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Researchers found that when nanoplastics age in the environment through sun exposure, they form a different coating of proteins when they enter the human body compared to fresh nanoplastics. This altered protein coating caused lung immune cells to absorb the aged nanoplastics more readily than new ones. The findings suggest that real-world nanoplastics, which are mostly sun-weathered, may be taken up by the body more aggressively than the fresh particles typically used in lab studies.
Nanoplastics (NPs), as emerging contaminants, have attracted increasing attention for their effects on human exposure and potential health risks. The protein corona formed on the surface of NPs affects the biological activity and fate of the NPs in vivo. However, how environmental aging, an inevitable process once NPs enter the environment, affects the formation of protein corona on NPs is still unclear. This study investigated the changes in the compositions of protein corona formed on photo-aged polystyrene (PS) NPs in human bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), corresponding to the inhalation exposure pathway. The results demonstrated that both the species and abundance of proteins in the BALF protein corona on the surface of PS NPs were altered by aging. In addition, the aged PS NPs are more hydrophilic and less electronegative than the pristine PS NPs; hence, there is an increased sorption of more negatively charged hydrophilic proteins. Moreover, aging-induced alterations in BALF protein corona enhanced the uptake of aged PS NPs by lung macrophages J774A.1 through phagocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These findings highlight the importance of environmental aging processes in the biosafety assessment of nanoplastics.
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Enhanced Macrophage Internalization of Photoaged Nanoplastics Mediated by Altered Serum Albumin Secondary Structure
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Researchers found that nanoplastics exposed to sunlight in water undergo surface changes that alter how they interact with blood proteins, specifically human serum albumin. The aged nanoplastics caused the protein to unfold and change its structure, which in turn made immune cells take up the plastic particles more readily. The study suggests that environmental aging of nanoplastics could increase their biological activity and potential health effects once they enter the body.
Aging Processes Dramatically Alter the Protein Corona Constitution, Cellular Internalization, and Cytotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics
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Researchers found that aging processes such as UV and ozone exposure dramatically alter how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with blood plasma proteins, form protein coronas, and enter cells. The study suggests that environmentally aged nanoplastics may have different biological effects than pristine particles, which has important implications for accurately assessing the health risks of real-world nanoplastic exposure.
The wheel of time: The environmental dance of aged micro- and nanoplastics and their biological resonance
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics change as they age in the environment through exposure to sunlight, water, and biological activity. Aged plastics behave differently than fresh ones: they accumulate faster in ecosystems, are more easily taken up by organisms, and can release trapped chemicals as they break down. The findings suggest that the real-world health and environmental risks of microplastics may be greater than lab studies using new, unweathered plastics indicate.
Surface-Oxidized Nanoplastics Exhibit Increased Interaction with THP-1 Cells
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Scientists found that when plastic nanoparticles get "weathered" by UV light (similar to what happens when plastic waste breaks down in sunlight outdoors), their surfaces become chemically altered in ways that make immune cells absorb them more readily. This matters because most lab studies test pristine, perfectly round plastic particles that don't reflect what's actually in our environment—real-world plastic pollution is irregularly shaped and sun-damaged, meaning current safety assessments may be underestimating how easily these particles get taken up by cells in our bodies.
Distribution and Biological Response of Nanoplastics in Constructed Wetland Microcosms: Mechanistic Insights into the Role of Photoaging
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This study looked at how sunlight aging changes the behavior of nanoplastics in wetland ecosystems. Researchers found that sun-aged nanoplastics accumulated differently in plants, water, and soil compared to fresh ones, and caused stronger biological responses in wetland organisms, suggesting that weathered nanoplastics in the environment may be more harmful than previously thought.
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