Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effect of UV-exposure on size, morphology, and chemical structure of polystyrene nanospheres in suspension

Researchers investigated how UV exposure changes the size, morphology, and chemical structure of polystyrene nanospheres in suspension, simulating environmental weathering of nanoplastics. The study characterized how UV aging alters particle properties in ways relevant to their biological and environmental fate.

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

RefractiveIndex of Benchmark Polystyrene Nanoplasticsby Optical Modeling of UV–Vis Spectra

Researchers measured UV-visible spectra of polystyrene nanobeads deposited on sapphire substrates and applied a new optical model based on Mie theory to determine the refractive index of polystyrene nanoplastics below 1 micrometre, bridging a critical gap in the optical characterisation of nanoplastic particles.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Preparation of Polystyrene Nanoparticles with Environmental Relevance Using a Gradual Degradation Method.

Researchers prepared polystyrene nanoparticles of environmental relevance using a gradual degradation method that simulates natural weathering conditions, finding that nanofragment size evolved dynamically from below 250 nm at 3 days to 300-500 nm at 6 days before forming two sub-200 nm peaks at 9 days.

2025 Polymers
Article Tier 2

Fluorescent nanoplastics: What steps are needed towards a representative toolkit?

This review critically examines strategies for creating and using fluorescent nanoplastics in research, noting that commonly used commercial polystyrene beads are not representative of environmental nanoplastics. The study recommends alternative approaches for producing more realistic fluorescent model particles and provides a roadmap to help researchers select appropriate methods for their specific applications.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation of environmentally relevant nanoplastics (e-NPs), benefit for fate, behavior and ecotoxicology studies

Researchers developed a method to produce environmentally relevant model nanoplastics by extracting particles from weathered plastic debris collected from the North Pacific garbage patch through agitation, sonication, and sequential filtration. The resulting nanoplastics were characterized using pyrolysis-GCMS, ATR-FTIR, and potentiometric titrations, showing mainly anisotropic particle shapes with surface properties closer to real environmental nanoplastics than commercial polystyrene beads.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Refractive Index of Benchmark Polystyrene Nanoplastics by Optical Modeling of UV–Vis Spectra

The refractive index of benchmark polystyrene nanoplastics was precisely measured using optical methods, providing a fundamental physical parameter needed for accurate optical detection and sizing of nanoplastics. Reliable optical constants for nanoplastics improve the accuracy of light-scattering-based detection instruments.

2025 Analytical Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The production and characterisation of nanoplastic reference material: optimization and method development

Researchers optimized non-solvent phase separation methods using xylene, toluene, and phenol as solvents to produce nanoplastic reference materials from polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene — polymer types more environmentally representative than commonly used commercial polystyrene nanoparticles. They characterized the produced particles by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy, finding predominantly irregular fragment morphologies that more closely resemble environmentally occurring nanoplastics.

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

Defining the size ranges of polystyrene nanoplastics according to their ability to cross biological barriers

Researchers systematically examined polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes to define the size ranges at which they can cross biological barriers, providing a more precise definition of nanoplastic dimensions relevant to toxicological assessment.

2023 Environmental Science Nano 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Localisation and identification of polystyrene particles in tissue sections using Raman spectroscopic imaging

Researchers developed a Raman spectroscopic imaging method to localize and identify polystyrene microplastic particles directly within tissue sections, enabling in-situ detection without fluorescent labeling and making environmental sample analysis feasible.

2023 NanoImpact 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Single-Particle Analysis of the Photodegradation of Submicron Polystyrene Particles Using Infrared Photothermal Heterodyne Imaging.

Researchers used a new infrared imaging technique to observe how submicron polystyrene particles physically and chemically degrade under UV light, finding significant chemical changes within just 6 hours. This is one of the first methods capable of tracking photodegradation of very small plastic particles, improving our understanding of how nanoplastics form and age in the environment.

2024 Environmental science & technology
Article Tier 2

Correlation of refractive index to morphology for polystyrene nanospheres by optical modelling of UV-VIS spectra

Researchers developed an optical modelling approach using UV-VIS spectroscopy to determine the complex refractive index (RI) of polystyrene nanospheres and correlate it to particle morphology. The study bridged two key gaps in RI-morphology characterization: sizes below 1 micrometer and wavelengths below 400 nm, providing reference data critical for monitoring nanoplastics in environmental samples.

2025
Article Tier 2

The crucial role of a protein corona in determining the aggregation kinetics and colloidal stability of polystyrene nanoplastics

Time-resolved dynamic light scattering was used to study how protein coronas — protein layers that form on nanoplastics in biological or environmental fluids — control the aggregation kinetics and colloidal stability of polystyrene nanoplastics. Protein identity and concentration profoundly shifted nanoplastic behavior, with implications for how these particles move and persist in natural water systems.

2020 Water Research 129 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of UV-exposure on size, morphology, and chemical structure of polystyrene nanospheres in suspension

Researchers studied how UV exposure alters the size, morphology, and chemical structure of polystyrene nanospheres in suspension, providing mechanistic insight into nanoplastic weathering. The results showed that UV irradiation progressively changes particle surface chemistry and size distribution in ways relevant to environmental fate and toxicity.

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

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

Unveiling the Environmental Characteristics of Sub-1000-nm Nanoplastics: A Comprehensive Review of the Preparation Methods for Nanoplastic Model Samples

This review addresses the challenge of creating realistic nanoplastic samples for lab research, since most studies have only used polystyrene spheres that do not represent the diverse shapes and types of nanoplastics found in the real environment. Better lab models are essential for accurately understanding the health risks these tiny plastic particles pose to humans.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Direct Nanoplastics Detection Below the Diffraction Limit Using Micro Raman

Researchers demonstrated that micro-Raman spectroscopy can directly detect polystyrene nanoplastic particles as small as 20 nm — far below the normal diffraction limit. This advances analytical capabilities for detecting the smallest nanoplastic particles in environmental samples.

2023
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Polarization transmission characteristics of polystyrene microplastics in aqueous environments

This study investigated how polarized light interacts with polystyrene microplastic particles suspended in water. While primarily a detection methods paper, it advances techniques for identifying microplastics in water and biological fluids like blood and urine, which is essential for accurately measuring human exposure levels.

2025 Optical Engineering
Article Tier 2

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

Researchers combined fluorescence, second harmonic generation, and coherent Raman scattering microscopy in a single instrument to image micro- and nanoplastics in lung cells, zebrafish, and mouse tissues. Polystyrene nanoplastics crossed the blood-brain barrier and accumulated in lipid-rich brain regions in mouse models.

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

Raman spectra characterization of size-dependent aggregation and dispersion of polystyrene particles in aquatic environments.

This study used Raman spectroscopy to examine how the presence of salt, proteins, and organic matter influences the aggregation and dispersion of polystyrene nanoplastics in water. The findings show that environmental conditions significantly alter nanoplastic behavior and can complicate their detection, which has implications for understanding how nanoplastics move through aquatic environments.

2023 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics in the oceans: Theory, experimental evidence and real world

Researchers critically review over 200 studies on nanoplastic pollution — focusing predominantly on polystyrene — synthesizing knowledge on how nanoplastics form from polymer degradation, accumulate in seawater, and affect organisms in controlled conditions, while identifying key methodological standards needed for reliable ecotoxicological assessments.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Structural Compactness Governs the Environmental Fate of Polystyrene Nanoplastics: Reaggregation Mechanisms in Laboratory-Scale Aquatic Systems.

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles from polystyrene (smaller than the width of a human hair) behave in water under different conditions like saltiness and water movement. They found that these plastic particles can break apart and stick back together, staying suspended in water for long periods and traveling far distances through rivers and oceans. This matters because it means these microscopic plastics could spread widely through water systems and potentially end up in our drinking water and food chain.

2026 Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)
Article Tier 2

Distinctive impact of polystyrene nano-spherules as an emergent pollutant toward the environment

Researchers assessed polystyrene nanosphere toxicity to marine crustaceans and human blood cells, finding significant aggregation in seawater, lethal concentrations for brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and lymphocytes at microgram-per-milliliter levels, and evidence of genotoxicity and oxidative stress damage, establishing these particles as an emerging environmental and health hazard.

2018 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of particle characteristics, heating temperature and time on the pyrolysis product distributions of polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics

Researchers systematically evaluated how pyrolysis temperature, heating time, particle size, and mass influence the decomposition products of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics during pyrolysis-GC/MS analysis, providing critical guidance for improving the accuracy of environmental microplastic detection methods.

2022 Journal of Chromatography A 25 citations