The massive use of plastic, pandemic-related materials over the past few years has further elevated the production and use of plastic products. This is of concern for many reasons. The ubiquitous presence of microplastics in all studied ecosystems confirms the hazardous persistence of plastics in the environment. Nanoplastics, synthetic polymers typically smaller than a micron, are also known to form and persist in the environment and reside within living organisms. The isolation and detection of nanoplastics are much more challenging, leaving a gap in knowledge about these particles, including their interactions and effects on biological systems. The accepted mechanism of formation of nanoplastics is continuous mechanical fragmentation through natural weathering (abrasion, sunlight photolysis, wind, etc.) or by industrial processes. Due to the lack of availability of standards prepared from everyday plastic materials, most nanoplastics studies have relied on polystyrene-functionalized materials. We have now developed a procedure for the preparation of nanoplastics in aqueous media that can be performed for a variety of plastics. These nanoplastics have been formed from pristine plastic samples and also from many real-world plastic materials. The identity and particle sizes have been analyzed using dark and light field microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and light scattering size measurements. Particle sizes of these nanoplastics range from a few micrometers to a few hundred nanometers, dependent upon a number of factors. These nanoplastics can be made from single or mixed polymers and are stable for use and study in complex solutions.

Preparation and characterization of real world nanoplastics in water

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.