Despite growing concerns about the harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), limiting
exposure to living organisms is not a trivial task. This is primarily due to the small size of MNPs
(μm-scale to nm-scale), making the monitoring during ingestion and transfer through the trophic
chain challenging. Additionally, the environmental weathering of waste plastics generates
secondary MNPs, which exacerbate the issue, as these are highly stable and can persist for decades
to centuries in the environment. A 2022 study reported that the average concentration of MNPs in
human blood was 1.6 ppm by mass. This is particularly concerning as MNPs can cause organ
damage in living organisms and have shown correlations with Alzheimer's disease in older patients
in some studies. However, the natural formation mechanisms of anisotropic MNPs and their
toxicity to living organisms are still much less understood. Herein, the current research aims to
develop a facile route for synthesizing luminescent MNPs from common household plastics (e.g.,
polyester, polystyrene, polypropylene) through a simple top-down cryogenic grinding process. The
properties of the MNPs have been characterized through physical and chemical characterization
techniques. Moreover, an animal model will be used to investigate how the variations in size
and shape of MNPs influence toxicity in living organisms.
