Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Europium-labelled nanopolystyrene as model nanoplastics for environmental fate investigations: Synthesis and optimisation

Researchers developed a method to track nanoplastics in the environment by embedding the rare-earth element europium into polystyrene nanoparticles, enabling precise detection using single-particle mass spectrometry even at very low concentrations. The europium label stayed locked inside the particles for over a week in both fresh and salt water, making this a reliable tool for studying how nanoplastics move and persist in ecosystems.

2025 Polymer Testing
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics demonstrate high structural stability in vivo: A comparative study with silica nanoparticles via SERS tag labeling

Researchers developed a SERS tag labeling technique to track polystyrene nanoplastics in vivo, finding that nanoplastics demonstrate remarkably high structural stability in organisms compared to silica nanoparticles, which degraded more readily.

2022 Chemosphere 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Development and Application of Nanoparticle-Nanopolymer Composite Spheres for the Study of Environmental Processes

This study developed labeled synthetic nanoplastic particles with built-in chemical, isotopic, or fluorescent tracers to allow precise tracking of plastic particle fate and behavior in complex environmental and biological samples. These standardized tracer particles address a key bottleneck in microplastic research by enabling more sensitive and selective detection in real-world matrices.

2021 Frontiers in Toxicology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Technetium-99m labelled amine-functionalized polystyrene microplastics: An innovative approach for environmental and biological studies

Researchers radiolabelled amino-functionalized polystyrene microplastics with technetium-99m, achieving 96% labelling efficiency and strong in vitro stability in aquatic media, providing a sensitive radiotracer platform for precisely tracking microplastic distribution in environmental and biological systems.

2026 Applied Radiation and Isotopes
Article Tier 2

Trace analysis of polystyrene microplastics in natural waters

Researchers developed and evaluated analytical methods for trace-level quantification of polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics in natural water samples, addressing key challenges in sensitivity and accuracy that limit realistic environmental risk assessment.

2019 Chemosphere 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Core–Shell Au@Nanoplastics as a Quantitative Tracer to Investigate the Bioaccumulation of Nanoplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems

Researchers developed a novel gold-core/polystyrene-shell nanoparticle tracer that mimics nanoplastic behavior in freshwater but can be detected and quantified far more precisely using the gold core's chemical signature. Using this tracer in artificial freshwater mesocosms, they tracked how nanoplastics distribute across water, sediment, and organisms — providing a powerful new tool to study nanoplastic fate and bioaccumulation.

2023 Analytical Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

From the synthesis of labeled nanoplastic model materials (isotopic and metallic) to their use in ecotoxicological studies with the detection and quantification analytical methods.

This study developed labeled nanoplastic model materials using isotopic and metallic tracers to enable tracking and quantification of nanoplastics in complex biological and environmental matrices at environmentally relevant concentrations. Labeled particles allowed localization and measurement of nanoplastics at levels not detectable by conventional methods, advancing mechanistic exposure studies.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

From the synthesis of labeled nanoplastic model materials (isotopic and metallic) to their use in ecotoxicological studies with the detection and quantification analytical methods.

Researchers synthesized isotopically and metallically labeled nanoplastic model materials to enable tracking and quantification of plastic nanoparticles in complex biological and environmental matrices at trace concentrations. The labeled models supported mechanistic studies of nanoplastic fate and exposure by allowing detection at environmentally relevant concentrations not achievable with conventional unlabeled particles.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Correlative spectroscopy and microscopy analysis of micro- and nanoplastics in complex biological matrices

Researchers combined fluorescence microscopy, second harmonic generation imaging, and coherent Raman scattering to detect and map micro- and nanoplastics in lung cells, zebrafish, and mouse tissues. Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in lipid-rich brain regions in animal models.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Imaging and quantifying the biological uptake and distribution of nanoplastics using a dual-functional model material

Researchers developed a dual-functional nanoplastic model material that allows both imaging and precise quantification of nanoplastic uptake in biological systems. Using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, they could track where nanoplastics accumulated in organisms at high resolution. The tool addresses a major gap in nanoplastic research by enabling more accurate measurement of how these tiny particles interact with living tissues.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal-binding processes on nanoplastics: rare earth elements as probes

Researchers used rare earth elements as probes to investigate metal-binding processes on nanoplastics in ocean and soil environments, revealing how nanoplastics can scavenge and concentrate trace metals in environmental systems.

2022 Environmental Science Nano 20 citations
Article Tier 2

13C-labeled nanoplastic model materials: Synthesis and evaluation of their use in ecotoxicology through bioaccumulation studies in aquatic crustaceans

Researchers developed carbon-13 labeled nanoplastic particles as a new tool for accurately tracking and measuring nanoplastics in living organisms. By combining stable isotope labeling with mass spectrometry, they could detect nanoplastics in complex biological samples like brine shrimp without the extensive sample preparation that current methods require. The approach provides a more reliable way to study how nanoplastics accumulate in aquatic food chains.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring Nanoplastics Bioaccumulation in Freshwater Organisms: A Study Using Gold-Doped Polymeric Nanoparticles

Researchers developed gold-doped polymer nanoparticles as traceable stand-ins for nanoplastics to study how these tiny particles accumulate in freshwater organisms including algae, zooplankton, and mussels. The approach enables more precise measurement of nanoplastic uptake across the food chain, helping scientists better understand the real-world bioaccumulation risks of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

2025 Nanomaterials 4 citations
Article Tier 2

A novel proof of concept approach towards generating reference microplastic particles

Researchers developed a new method for creating standardized reference microplastic particles that can be embedded in a dissolvable matrix in precise, known quantities. Current microplastic research suffers from a lack of consistent reference standards, making it difficult to compare results across different laboratories and methods. The approach could significantly improve the quality and comparability of microplastic measurements in environmental studies.

2024 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate, uptake and impact of fit-for-purpose nanoplastics on the digestive environment: an in vitro-in vivo continuum study

Researchers investigated the fate, uptake, and impact of fluorescent and gold-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics on the digestive environment, using fit-for-purpose labeled particles to track nanoplastic behavior in biological systems. The labeled nanoplastics enabled detailed mapping of how plastic nanoparticles are processed in the gut, providing mechanistic insight into absorption pathways.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of 14C-labelled polystyrene nanoplastics for environmental studies

Researchers developed a one-step polymerization method to synthesize radiocarbon (14C)-labelled polystyrene nanoplastics, enabling tracking of these particles in complex biological and environmental matrices where conventional analytical methods fail. The method produced sulfonate end-capped nanoparticles of various sizes that could be quantified with high accuracy, providing a valuable tool for studying nanoplastic behavior in living organisms and simulated environments.

2020 Communications Materials 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultrastable long-term tracking and quantification of nanoplastics in complex environmental matrices

Researchers developed a europium-based tracer system for long-term tracking and quantification of nanoplastics in water, sediment, and organisms. The method demonstrated high stability over 28 days and enabled detection at concentrations as low as 0.5 micrograms per liter, revealing that over 95 percent of nanoplastic particles settled into sediment within 10 days in experimental conditions.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Making Fluorescent Nylon, Polypropylene, and Polystyrene Microplastics for In Vivo and In Vitro Imaging

Researchers developed two methods to make environmentally relevant microplastics fluorescent for imaging—Rhodamine 6G staining for nylon and polypropylene, and an alternative approach—enabling accurate tracking and quantification of non-fluorescent polymers in biological systems.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of metal-doped nanoplastics and their utility to investigate fate and behaviour in complex environmental systems

Researchers developed a method to synthesize metal-doped nanoplastics that use an entrapped metal tracer for easy detection in complex environmental systems, demonstrating in wastewater treatment simulations that over 98% of nanoplastics associate with sewage sludge — providing a robust tool for studying nanoplastic fate and transport in real-world environments.

2019 Nature Nanotechnology 311 citations
Article Tier 2

Fluorescent plastic nanoparticles to track their interaction and fate in physiological environments

This study developed fluorescently labeled plastic nanoparticles made from PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene that can be tracked in biological environments to study how nanoplastics are taken up and processed by living organisms. Having trackable model nanoplastics is an important tool for understanding how these particles move through tissues and food chains.

2020 Environmental Science Nano 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Stable staining of microplastics using conjugated polymer nanoparticles

Researchers developed conjugated polymer nanoparticles as a new analytical tool for staining and detecting microplastics, demonstrating stable fluorescent labeling of polystyrene particles that remained effective for at least 2.5 years after initial application.

2025 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Fabrication and characterization of (fluorescent) model nanoplastics for polymer specific detection

Scientists developed fluorescently labeled model nanoplastics that mimic the properties of real plastic particles, enabling polymer-specific identification at very small scales. These standardized reference particles are a key research tool because nanoplastics are otherwise extremely difficult to detect and characterize in environmental samples.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Experimental data supporting the radiolabelling of polystyrene microplastics with technetium-99m

Researchers developed a radiotracer compound by labeling polystyrene microplastics with technetium-99m, a medical imaging isotope, to enable tracking of microplastic particles in biological and environmental systems. The dataset covers labeling yield, particle size, charge, and stability in various media. Radiolabeled microplastics could become a powerful tool for studying how plastic particles move through organisms and ecosystems with high precision.

2026 Mendeley Data
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of near-infrared-fluorophore-loaded microplastics with different compositions for in vivo tracking

Researchers synthesised fluorescent microplastic particles of different polymer types that can be tracked inside living animals using near-infrared imaging, creating a tool for studying how microplastics move through and accumulate within biological tissues. These model particles help researchers understand real-world microplastic behaviour inside organisms, which is critical for assessing health risks.

2026 Environmental Science Advances