Nanoplastics in infusion system remains underexplored: Evidence from detected nanoplastics in hospital-sourced infusion products

Recent studies have highlighted the potential pathway of microplastic exposure through infusion therapy. However, the release of nanoplastics during this process remains poorly understood. Existing research on nanoplastics in infusion products predominantly relies on non-specific detection methods, which can significantly compromise the accurate judgment of nanoplastic types and concentrations. In this study, three brands of hospital-sourced infusion products were analyzed for nanoplastic release using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with dark-field microscopy. A wide variety of nanoplastics, including polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), and polyethylene (PE), was detected. Among them, PP nanoplastics (PP-NPs) and PVC nanoplastics (PVC-NPs) were found at high concentrations, ranging from 7436.8 to 16439.3 particles per bag and 3914.1-7045.4 particles per tube, respectively. In addition to these dominant species, the combined concentration of the remaining five nanoplastics (PS, PMMA, PET, PA, and PE) ranged from 2818 to 24189.3 particles per bag/tube. This level of compositional diversity has not been previously reported, raising urgent concerns regarding nanoplastic exposure through infusion therapy and underscoring the need for further investigation.