Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Developing nano plastics models to study their fate in the environment.

Researchers synthesized nanoplastic model particles with well-defined properties to study their environmental fate and transport under controlled conditions. Standardized nanoplastic models allow more reproducible experiments and help bridge the gap between lab studies and real-world nanoplastic behavior.

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

Synthesis of model polyethylene particles for the study of nanoplastics in the oceans

Researchers synthesized model polyethylene nanoplastic particles to serve as reference materials for studying the behavior and fate of nanoplastics in ocean environments, addressing the gap created by the lack of standardized particles representative of naturally fragmented marine plastic debris.

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

Synthesis of model polyethylene particles for the study of nanoplastics in the oceans

Researchers developed a synthesis method for model polyethylene particles designed to replicate the physicochemical properties of naturally degraded nanoplastics in the ocean, addressing the need for environmentally representative reference materials for studying nanoplastic behavior in marine systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

A reliable procedure to obtain environmentally relevant nanoplastic proxies

Researchers developed a reliable procedure for producing nanoplastic proxies with properties more representative of environmentally aged nanoplastics, addressing the urgent need for better reference materials in nanoplastic fate, transport, and toxicology research.

2021 Environmental Science Nano 38 citations
Article Tier 2

The Challenge of the Analysis of Nanoplastics in the Environment: Current Status and Perspectives

This review examines the analytical challenges of detecting and characterising nanoplastics in environmental samples, presenting the state of the art in size determination, chemical composition analysis, and quantification techniques, as well as a survey of nanoplastic model materials used in the literature.

2022
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

Preparation of Nanoscale Particles of Five Major Polymers as Potential Standards for the Study of Nanoplastics

Researchers developed a precipitation-based method for preparing nanoscale particles of five major polymers, creating standardized reference materials needed for studying nanoplastic distribution and toxicity in the environment.

2021 Small 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation of Nanoplastic Particles as Potential Standards for the Study of Nanoplastics

Researchers developed methods to prepare well-defined nanoplastic particles as potential reference standards for nanoplastic research, addressing the critical shortage of reliable materials for toxicity studies and analytical method validation. The study characterized the size, shape, and surface properties of the produced particles to confirm their suitability as standards.

2024 YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 1 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

Nano-plastics and their analytical characterisation and fate in the marine environment: From source to sea

Researchers reviewed the sources, environmental fate, organism interactions, and analytical detection methods for nano-sized plastic polymers in the marine environment, concluding that nanoplastics pose the greatest ecological risk among plastic size fractions and that standardized analytical protocols for nanoplastic characterization are urgently needed.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 142 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

Small micro- and nanoplastic test and reference materials for research: Current status and future needs

This review highlights the critical shortage of well-characterized, environmentally relevant reference materials for studying small microplastics and nanoplastics. Most laboratory studies use commercially available spherical particles that do not represent the irregular, weathered particles found in nature. The authors call for developing standardized reference materials that better mimic real-world microplastic contamination to improve the reliability of exposure and hazard assessments.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation of block copolymer-stabilised microspheres of common polymers and their use as microplastics proxies in degradation studies

Researchers developed a simple method to produce standardized model microplastic particles made from common polymers for use in laboratory degradation studies. Reliable model microplastics are essential for consistent research into how different plastic types break down in the environment and affect living organisms.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Towards nanoplastic reference materials representative of partially degraded/naturally aged samples in complex food and environmental matrices

Researchers developed nanoplastic reference materials that better represent partially degraded and naturally aged particles found in real environmental and food matrices, addressing the gap left by commercially available monodispersed, spherical, surfactant-coated particles that do not reflect the polydispersed morphologies of environmental nanoplastics.

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

Towards nanoplastic reference materials representative of partially degraded/naturally aged samples in complex food and environmental matrices

Researchers developed nanoplastic reference materials that better represent partially degraded and naturally aged particles found in real environmental and food matrices, addressing the inadequacy of commercially available monodispersed spherical particles that do not reflect the polydispersed, irregular morphology of environmental nanoplastics.

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

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

This study developed and characterized fluorescent model nanoplastics that can be tracked and identified by polymer type, providing standardized reference particles for laboratory research. Reliable model nanoplastics are critical tools for toxicology experiments — without them, it is difficult to compare results across studies or understand which plastic types pose the greatest biological risk.

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

Aqueous Dispersions of Polypropylene: Toward Reference Materials for Characterizing Nanoplastics

Researchers developed aqueous dispersions of polypropylene nanoplastics to serve as reference materials for detection and characterization studies, addressing a critical gap in nanoplastics research where the lack of standardized reference particles has hindered method development for identifying nanoplastics in environmental and biological samples.

2022 Macromolecular Rapid Communications 39 citations
Article Tier 2

The environmental fate of nanoplastics: What we know and what we need to know about aggregation

Researchers systematically analyzed experimental studies on nanoplastic aggregation behavior, evaluating the environmental relevance of 377 solution chemistries and 163 particle models. The study found that commonly used polymer latex spheres do not accurately represent real-world nanoplastics, and suggests that incidentally produced nanoplastics may be more sensitive to heteroaggregation than previously expected.

2023 NanoImpact 129 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

Leveraging nanoparticle environmental health and safety research in the study of micro- and nano-plastics

Researchers argue that two decades of research on the environmental health and safety of engineered nanomaterials provides a strong foundation for studying micro- and nanoplastics. They outline how lessons from nano-safety research apply to understanding plastic particle toxicity, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and environmental behavior. The study emphasizes that existing tools and methodologies from nanotoxicology can accelerate progress in assessing the risks of particulate plastic pollution.

2024 NanoImpact 2 citations
Article Tier 2

New approach to produce accelerated aged microplastics standard

Researchers developed a new approach to produce accelerated-aged microplastic reference standards that more closely resemble environmentally weathered particles, accounting for the range of polymer types, shapes, sizes, and degradation conditions that determine real-world microplastic properties.

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

Environmental Fate, Behavior, and Risk Management Approaches of Nanoplastics in the Environment

Researchers reviewed the environmental fate, behavior, and risk management of nanoplastics, which are plastic particles smaller than one micrometer. The study suggests that nanoplastics may pose greater environmental and health risks than larger microplastics due to their nanoscale properties, though significant knowledge gaps remain about their transport, transformation, and long-term ecological effects.

2024 2 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