Nanoplastics: From model materials to colloidal fate

Stephanie Reynaud (1, 2, 3) , Antoine Aynard (2) , Bruno Grassl (2) , Julien Gigault (4, 5)

1 CMU - Carnegie Mellon University [Pittsburgh]
2 IPREM - Institut des sciences analytiques et de physico-chimie pour l'environnement et les materiaux
3 ICS - Institut Charles Sadron
4 GR - Géosciences Rennes
5 Takuvik Joint International Laboratory ULAVAL-CNRS

Nanoplastics are pieces of plastic debris of mixed shape and chemical composition, which can be present in the air, soil, freshwater bodies, seas, biota, and our diet. We know little about the prevalence of nanoplastics and the risks they pose to the health of living organisms; recent studies of plastics in the environment have not significantly contributed information about this crucial topic. In this article, nanoplastics are presented as colloids. Analysing their colloidal properties shows that their fate is governed by interfacial properties, Trojan horse properties, and their stability in aqueous media. Their hazards, however, are as yet unknown.

Mots clés: Aggregation; Colloidal properties; Model materials; Nanoplastics; Stability

Domaines: Polymères; Chimie théorique et/ou physique

Stephanie Reynaud, Antoine Aynard, Bruno Grassl, Julien Gigault. Nanoplastics: From model materials to colloidal fate. Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 2022, 57, pp.101528. ⟨10.1016/j.cocis.2021.101528⟩. ⟨hal-03454590⟩