Atmospheric microplastics, their accumulation in vivo and potential toxicity.

大气微塑料、它们在体内的积累和潜在毒性。

• 批准号: MR/R026521/2
• 负责人: Stephanie Wright
• 金额: $ 33.1万
• 依托单位: Imperial College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Fellowship
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FR026521%2F2
• 关键词: Atmospheric; microplastics; their; accumulation; vivo

Over 8 billion tonnes of plastic have been made since mass production began in the 1950s. Eighty per cent of this has gone to landfill or the natural environment. Consequently, plastic litter is widespread and it persists. Upon exposure to sunlight, plastic slowly degrades into microscopic particles and fibres known as microplastics. Microplastics are also purposefully manufactured, such as microbeads used in personal care products. Microplastics have been found in food and the air we breathe, prompting speculation about risks to public health. If small enough to be inhaled, airborne microplastics could enter the airway. From here they may be cleared with mucus to the gut, or they may enter the deep lung where they interact with lung fluid and cells. As plastic cannot be broken down, microplastics have the potential to persist in our bodies by embedding in tissues or entering cells. Following exposure, there are several ways in which microplastics are predicted to cause harm. They may trigger an inflammatory response, as they resemble foreign bodies which immune cells try to eliminate. They may also carry a cocktail of chemicals. These include additives that are incorporated during plastic product manufacture, and chemicals concentrated on their surface from the surrounding environment. Such chemicals are known to cause genetic mutations, cancer and reproductive effects. Additionally, microplastics carry a novel community of microbes, including harmful types. Given the risk of human exposure, there is an urgent need to assess the potential health impacts of microplastics. However, a solid evidence base for population exposure - including microplastic concentrations, types and sizes - is lacking. This fellowship aims to address this by assessing whether microplastics down to an inhalable size are airborne; if humans are exposed to microplastics via the air; and whether exposure could lead to health effects. The research will be conducted at the Medical Research Council (MRC)-Public Health England Centre for Environment and Health (King's College London) in partnership with the MRC Toxicology Unit (Leicester). Instruments which measure air quality will be used to collect airborne particles. Samples will be assessed with a microscope coupled to an instrument capable of detecting unique chemical signatures, known as Raman spectroscopy, to detect microplastics. Microplastics will be counted, sized, and the type of plastic identified. To assess whether humans are exposed to microplastics, human lung tissue samples routinely-collected during medical procedures will be screened. Samples will be viewed under a microscope coupled to a Raman spectrometer and suspicious particles characterized as above. To understand the potential for microplastics to cause harm, varying characteristics of microplastics - such as plastic type, size, shape and surface chemistry - will be screened in a an animal model. The outcomes of the proposed project are to 1) have a standard method to carry out monitoring of microplastics in the air in different environments (such as urban, coastal and rural); 2) to determine the suitability of tissue as an indicator of exposure; and 3) have an overall increased understanding of the risk that microplastics present to human health. Classifying microplastics by plastic type will highlight those plastics which require improved regulation via resource and waste management, and material and product design.

自 20 世纪 50 年代开始大规模生产以来，已生产了超过 80 亿吨塑料。其中百分之八十已经进入垃圾填埋场或自然环境。因此，塑料垃圾非常普遍并且持续存在。暴露在阳光下时，塑料会慢慢降解成微小颗粒和纤维，称为微塑料。微塑料也是有目的地制造的，例如用于个人护理产品的微珠。在食物和我们呼吸的空气中发现了微塑料，引发了人们对公共健康风险的猜测。如果小到足以被吸入，空气中的微塑料可能会进入呼吸道。从这里，它们可能会被肠道粘液清除，或者可能进入肺部深处，与肺液和细胞相互作用。由于塑料无法分解，微塑料有可能通过嵌入组织或进入细胞而持续存在于我们的体内。接触微塑料后，预计会通过多种方式造成伤害。它们可能会引发炎症反应，因为它们类似于免疫细胞试图消除的异物。他们还可能携带多种化学物质。其中包括塑料产品制造过程中加入的添加剂，以及周围环境中浓缩在其表面的化学物质。已知此类化学物质会导致基因突变、癌症和生殖影响。此外，微塑料还携带着新的微生物群落，其中包括有害类型。考虑到人类接触的风险，迫切需要评估微塑料对健康的潜在影响。然而，缺乏人口暴露的可靠证据——包括微塑料浓度、类型和大小。该奖学金旨在通过评估小至可吸入大小的微塑料是否会在空气中传播来解决这个问题；人类是否通过空气接触微塑料；以及接触是否会导致健康影响。该研究将在医学研究委员会 (MRC)-公共卫生英格兰环境与健康中心（伦敦国王学院）与 MRC 毒理学部门（莱斯特）合作进行。测量空气质量的仪器将用于收集空气中的颗粒。样品将通过显微镜与能够检测独特化学特征的仪器（称为拉曼光谱）进行评估，以检测微塑料。将对微塑料进行计数、确定尺寸并确定塑料类型。为了评估人类是否接触微塑料，将对医疗过程中常规收集的人体肺组织样本进行筛查。样品将在与拉曼光谱仪联用的显微镜​​下观察，可疑颗粒的特征如上所述。为了了解微塑料造成伤害的可能性，将在动物模型中筛选微塑料的不同特征，例如塑料类型、尺寸、形状和表面化学。该项目的成果是： 1）拥有一个标准方法来对不同环境（例如城市、沿海和农村）空气中的微塑料进行监测； 2) 确定组织作为暴露指标的适用性； 3) 全面加深对微塑料对人类健康造成的风险的了解。按塑料类型对微塑料进行分类将突出显示那些需要通过资源和废物管理以及材料和产品设计改进监管的塑料。

项目成果

Release and intestinal translocation of chemicals associated with microplastics in an in vitro human gastrointestinal digestion model

• DOI: 10.1186/s43591-021-00022-y
• 发表时间: 2022-01
• 期刊: Microplastics and Nanoplastics
• 作者: R. Peters;Nadine de Jong;L. D. de Haan;S. Wright;H. Bouwmeester

Global Plastic Pollution Observation System to Aid Policy

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c00818
• 发表时间: 2021-05-24
• 期刊: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
• 影响因子: 11.4
• 作者: Bank, Michael S.;Swarzenski, Peter W.;Ok, Yong Sik
• 通讯作者: Ok, Yong Sik

Examining the release of synthetic microfibres to the environment via two major pathways: Atmospheric deposition and treated wastewater effluent.

检查合成微纤维通过两个主要途径向环境中的释放：大气沉降和处理后的废水排放。

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159317
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: The Science of the total environment
• 作者: Napper IE

Screening and prioritization of nano- and microplastic particle toxicity studies for evaluating human health risks - development and application of a toxicity study assessment tool.

• DOI: 10.1186/s43591-021-00023-x
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Microplastics and nanoplastics
• 作者: Gouin T;Ellis-Hutchings R;Thornton Hampton LM;Lemieux CL;Wright SL
• 通讯作者: Wright SL

Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Microplastic Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea

第二届地中海微塑料污染国际会议论文集

• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-45909-3_17
• 发表时间: 2020
• 作者: Kelly F