John Ahn, Karolína Hronová, Anastasiya Pashigreva, Tatiana Kárová, Anna Kotlyar, Alexander Masny, Jan Kára
Nanoplastics. A Systematic Risk Analysis for Human Health, Ecosystems, and the Environment
The relevance of the study is driven by the unprecedented global accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in the biosphere and the change of their physicochemical properties as they transition to micro- and nano size. Upon fragmentation, synthetic polymers cease to be merely inert macro-waste and acquire the properties of dispersed, physicochemically active particles, for which the role of specific surface area, adsorption capacity, interfacial interactions, and electrokinetic characteristics increases. This enhances the likelihood of their interaction with biological barriers, biomolecules, cells, and tissues.
