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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Nanoplastics Sign in to save

Nanoplastics are potentially more dangerous than microplastics

Environmental Chemistry Letters 2022 245 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Virender K. Sharma, Xingmao Ma, Éric Lichtfouse, Didier Robert

Summary

Researchers argue that nanoplastics are likely more dangerous than microplastics because their smaller size allows them to penetrate living cells and travel to more remote locations in the body and environment, making them a more urgent concern for human health than their larger counterparts.

Nanoplastics are probably much more dangerous for living organisms than microplastics because they are more abundant and reactive. They can potentially reach more remote locations and penetrate in living cells. Here we compare nanoplastics with microplastics and engineered nanoparticles, with focus on formation, size, reactivity, mobility, biofilms, and interactions with microbes, pollutants and natural organic matter.

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