Nanoplastics are potentially more dangerous than microplastics

Virender K Sharma (1) , Xingmao Ma (1) , Eric Lichtfouse (2) , Didier Robert (3)

1 Texas A&M University [College Station]
2 CEREGE - Centre européen de recherche et d'enseignement des géosciences de l'environnement
3 ICPEES - Institut de chimie et procédés pour l'énergie, l'environnement et la santé

Nanoplastics are probably much more dangerous for living organisms than microplastics because they are more abundant and reactive. They can potentially reach more remote locations and penetrate in living cells. Here we compare nanoplastics with microplastics and engineered nanoparticles, with focus on formation, size, reactivity, mobility, biofilms, and interactions with microbes, pollutants and natural organic matter.

Mots clés: nanoplastic; microplastic; toxicity

Domaines: Géochimie; Matériaux; Sciences de l'environnement; Microbiologie et Parasitologie; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Toxicologie

Virender K Sharma, Xingmao Ma, Eric Lichtfouse, Didier Robert. Nanoplastics are potentially more dangerous than microplastics. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 2023, 21, pp.1933 - 1936. ⟨10.1007/s10311-022-01539-1⟩. ⟨hal-03846188⟩