A new protocol that evaluates toxicity levels of microplastics and nanoplastics

13.10.2023

With Fazel A. Monikh, of the Department of Chemical Sciences (DiSC) at the University of Padua, as its first author, the article Exposure protocol for ecotoxicity testing of microplastics and nanoplastics offers the first analytical protocol of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) which has attracted significant attention in recent years. In nature, microplastics (1 µm < particle size < 5 mm) and nanoplastics (<1-µm particle size) occur in various shapes, sizes, and chemical compositions. This article describes a new exposure protocol that considers the particle-specific properties of MNPs and their dynamic behavior in exposure systems.

Dr Monikh explains, “The objective of the protocol is to fill gaps in current knowledge on micro- and nanoplastics and improve the comparability of research results. To this end, our protocols can be applied by students, academics, environmental risk assessors, and industry experts as a more coherent and standardized way to assess the toxicity of nanoplastics. Our unified approach in the assessment of the environmental and health risks associated with MNPs will contribute to the formation of an informed decision-making process and the consequent formulation of targeted contrast policies and risk mitigation.”

The article also highlights the urgency of uniting efforts to tackle plastic pollution and improve our understanding, mitigate risks, and safeguard our ecosystems and well-being.

Although many other studies have confirmed the adverse effects of plastic particles, many are characterized by inconsistencies and divergent conclusions. Such discrepancies are attributable, in part, to the differences in testing methodologies, which often lack a standardized approach to evaluate the toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics.

Nanoplastics attach algae