Competitive and/or cooperative interactions of graphene-family materials and benzo[a]pyrene with pulmonary surfactant: a computational and experimental study

Summary

Researchers studied how graphene-based nanomaterials and benzo[a]pyrene — a toxic pollutant — interact with the thin fluid layer lining the lungs, finding that graphene readily absorbs the pollutant and carries it to the lung surface where it can disrupt the protective surfactant layer. This suggests that nanomaterials, similar to nanoplastics, could act as carriers that concentrate and deliver harmful chemicals deeper into the respiratory system.