Micro-nano plastics make other pollutants more dangerous for intestinal plants and cells

Plastic to micro and nanoscale particles in the soil and water can significantly increase the amount of toxic chemicals that human plants and intestinal cells absorb, according to two new studies of Health Rutgers that raise new concerns about food safety of Plastic contamination

He First study in Nanoimpact He discovered that the lettuce exposed to both the plastic particles to Nanoscala and to the common environmental pollutants, such as arsenic, substantially assumed more of the toxic substances than the plants exposed to the pollutants, confirming only the risks of polycontamination of our food chain. TO Complementary study in Microplastics The magazine showed similar effects on human intestinal tissue.

The combination of both studies suggests that the micro and nano plastic, the byproduct of the fragmentation of plastics in the environment over time, could be creating a dangerous cycle of contamination: make plants absorb more toxic chemicals that we could later Eating, while our bodies are more likely. to also absorb toxins and plastics themselves and the increase in disease risks, especially for susceptible populations.

“We have already put around 7 billion metric tons of plastics in the environment that continue to separate,” said Philip Demokritou, director of the Nanoscience Center and advanced materials of the Institute of Environmental Occupational Health of the University of Rutgers and principal author of both studies. “They hire everything around us: the water we drink, the food we eat, the air we breathe.”

Using a human small intestine cell model, along with a laboratory -based gastrointestinal system that simulates the digestive system, researchers found that Nano -size plastic particles increased arsenic absorption by almost six times compared to the arsenic exhibition alone . The same effect was observed with Boscalid, a commonly used pesticide, said Rutgers researchers, the Experimental Agriculture Station of Connecticut (CAES) and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

The relationship also worked in both directions: the presence of these environmental pollutants also significantly increased the amount of plastic absorbed by the intestinal tissue, with an absorption of plastic duplicating approximately when toxins were present.

“We know that Nanoscala materials can overlook biological barriers,” said Demokritou, president of Henry Rutgers and professor of Nanoscience and Environmental Bioengineering at the Rutgers Public Health School and the Rutgers Engineering School. “The smaller the particles, the more they can avoid biological barriers in our bodies that protect us.”

For the other article, the researchers presented lettuce plants to two sizes of polystyrene particles: 20 nanometers and 1,000 nanometers, together with arsenic and forested. They discovered that the smallest particles had the greatest impact, increasing the absorption of arsenic in almost triple edible plant tissues compared to plants exposed to arsenic alone.

The effects occurred both in hydroponic systems and in the most realistic soil conditions. Using advanced images and analytical techniques, researchers showed that plastic particles also accumulated in plant tissues, with smaller particles that are more likely to move from the roots to sprouts.

Micro and nanoplastic come from the slow decomposition of larger plastic pieces in the environment.

“Even if we stop producing plastics or use plastics, unfortunately we have many plastic waste,” Demokritou said.

The research was part of a larger funded project that examines food security problems related to micro and nanoplastic. Scientists said more research is needed to understand long -term implications and develop potential solutions.

“We need to continue with the hierarchy of waste ‘three-r’: reduce the use of plastics, reuse, recycle,” Demokritou said. “For the areas where these three RS cannot apply, and in agriculture, where both plastic for weeds and other things is used, use biodegradable plastics.”

Researchers are developing new biodegradable materials that could replace conventional plastics and methods to better detect and measure plastic particles in food and water. However, they said that preventing greater pollution should be a priority.

“It is not that technically we cannot address some of these problems,” said Demokritou. “But it will definitely be a challenge to retain all the benefits of this very useful material while reducing the damage it does. There are social and economic obstacles related to plastic production and use to overcome.”