Synthesis of 14C-labelled polystyrene nanoplastics for environmental studies
| Autor: | Maya Al-Sid-Cheikh, Richard C. Thompson, Marc-André Cormier, Steven J. Rowland, Ralf Kaegi, Theodore B. Henry |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Complex matrix
02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology 01 natural sciences Highly sensitive chemistry.chemical_compound Environmental risk chemistry Mechanics of Materials General Materials Science Polystyrene 0210 nano-technology Biological system 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Communications Materials. 1 |
| ISSN: | 2662-4443 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s43246-020-00097-9 |
| Popis: | Available analytical methods cannot detect nanoplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations in complex matrices such as biological tissues. Here, we describe a one-step polymerization method, allowing direct radiolabeling of a sulfonate end-capped nano-sized polystyrene (nPS; proposed as a model nanoplastic particle representing negatively charged nanoplastics). The method, which produces nanoplastics trackable in simulated environmental settings which have already been used to investigate the behavior of a nanoplastic in vivo in a bivalve mollusc, was developed, optimized and successfully applied to synthesis of 14C-labeled nPS of different sizes. In addition to a description of the method of synthesis, we describe the details for quantification, mass balance and recovery of the labelled particles from complex matrices offered by the radiolabelling approach. The radiolabeling approach described here, coupled to use of a highly sensitive autoradiographic method for monitoring nanoplastic body burden and distributions, may provide a valuable procedure for investigating the environmental pathways followed by negatively charged nanoplastics at low predicted environmental concentrations. Whether the behaviour of the synthetic nPS manufactured here, synthesised using a very common inititator, represents that of manufactured nPS found in the environment, remains to be seen. Nanoplastics are a substantial environmental risk, and it is important to understanding where and how they are released into the environment. Here, a simple methodology is reported for the one-step synthesis of radiolabelled nanopolystyrene that can be used in environmental studies. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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