Evaluating the Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics Using True-to-life Materials

Micro- and nanoplastics (N/MPs) have emerged as significant environmental pollutants, posing potential risks to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Despite growing concerns, there is a lack of standardized methods for accurately identifying and assessing the impact of these particles. This study aims to bridge this gap by developing realistic test materials and comprehensive analytical protocols to better understand the sources, fate, and effects of N/MPs. We provide a comprehensive understanding of the sources and fate of N/MPs through the development of robust analytical protocols for their identification, characterization, and impact assessment. The production and characterization of realistic N/MPs, which serve as optimal test materials due to their high environmental relevance and diversity in composition, shape, size, and degradation states, are detailed. These N/MPs are rigorously characterized using a multitechnique approach, including morphological, spectroscopic, thermal, and hyphenated methods. Furthermore, we investigate their interactions with filter-feeding biota by examining the dynamics of uptake, accumulation, and egestion in mussels experimentally contaminated with these realistic N/MPs. This research enhances our understanding of the environmental impact of N/MPs and informs the development of more accurate testing protocols.