Preparation of polypropylene nanoplastics using non-solvent induced phase separation and fluorescent labeling
발표자
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초록
내용
Currently, many studies are concerned about the adverse effects of nanoplastics on living organisms. Among the plastics, polypropylene (PP) is thermoplastic and used in various fields from food packaging to masks, whose usage has increased since COVID-19. Although PP is a plastic with a high potential for forming a nanoplastics by weathering, little is known about the biological effects of PP nanoplastics (PPNPs) due to the lack of particle models. Here, we show the preparation of spherical PPNPs with a size distribution of 300 to 800 nm using non-solvent induced phase separation. Furthermore, to analyze distribution and fate in vivo, PPNPs were fluorescently labeled by the combined swelling diffusion method and verified through zebrafish embryos. Our study demonstrates the successful preparation of a nanoscale PP plastic particle model and expects to be utilized in the risk assessment of environmentally relevant PP micronization.