Plastics are synthetic polymers derived from fossil fuels or biomass of different origins. In their life cycle, plastics can fragment into micro and nanoplastics (MNPs). In recent years, MNPs have become a growing concern to human health due to our constant contact with polymeric materials like textile, food packaging and car tyres. MNPs have been reported in different human organs, including the gastrointestinal tracts, lungs, placenta and blood, showing their potential to translocate from their point of entry to other parts of the body. Studies have found that MNPs are able to penetrate cells that make up crucial biological barriers such as the intestinal mucosal barrier. Animal exposure studies have also found MNPs entering other crucial organs including the brain, suggesting that the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the brain from harmful substances, was penetrated. The process whereby MNPs cross these barriers is a complex process that depends on several factors such as particle size, charge, surface chemistry and the type of cell with which they interact. This study aims to use human cell cultures to study the behaviour and fate of MNPs in contact and across the BBB, thereby expanding our understanding about the health risks of MNPs.
Please note this is a PhD Candidate Progress Review presentation by Lily Pan.