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Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastics with Different Size and Surface Modification in A549 Cells

International Journal of Nanomedicine 2022 134 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Xiaorui Shi, Xinan Wang, Rong Huang, Chu Tang, Chong Hu, Chong Hu, Pengbo Ning, Fu Wang

Summary

Researchers tested polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics of different sizes and surface modifications on human lung cells to evaluate their potential toxicity. They found that particle size, surface chemistry, and how particles interact with surrounding biological fluids all significantly influenced cellular damage and DNA harm. The study highlights that the toxicity of plastic particles in humans depends on multiple physical and chemical properties, not just their presence.

Polymers

This study shows that the intrinsic size properties and surface modification of PS plastics, the interaction between PS plastics and the receiving medium, intracellular accumulation are critical factors for evaluating the toxicological influences of PS plastics on humans.

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