'N Onlangse studie oor plastiek pollution beyond the micron level has unambiguously detected and identified nanoplastics in real-life samples of bottled water. It was found that the exposure to the micro-nano plastiek from regular bottled water is in the range of 105 particles per litre. The micro-nano plastiek concentrations were estimated to be about 2.4 ± 1.3 × 105 particles per litre of bottled water, about 90% of which were nanoplastics. Nanoplastics, whose dimension is in the range of 10 -9 meter, is klein genoeg om selfs bloedbrein maklik oor te steek versperring en plasenta versperring en kan verreikende gevolge vir menslike gesondheid hê.
In a study conducted in 2018, researchers investigated globally sourced brands of bottled water for microplastic contamination using Nile Red tagging. They found an average of 10.4 microplastic particles more than 100 µm (1 micron or micrometer = 1 µm = 10⁻⁶ meter) in size per litre of bottled water. Particles smaller than 100 µm could not be confirmed to be plastiek due to limitation of spectroscopic analysis however dye adsorption indicated so. Such smaller particles (in the size range 6.5µm –100 µm) were, on an average, 325 in number per litre of bottled water.
Navorsers het nou die tegniese beperking van spektroskopiese analise oorkom om deeltjies kleiner as 100 µm te bestudeer. In 'n onlangse studie rapporteer hulle die ontwikkeling van kragtige optiese beeldtegniek met 'n outomatiese identifikasie-algoritme wat plastiekdeeltjies in nanogrootte-reeks (1 nanometer = 1 nm = 10) kan identifiseer en ontleed-9 meter). Study of bottled water using the newly developed technique revealed per litre of bottled water has about 2.4 ± 1.3 × 105 plastiekdeeltjies, waarvan ongeveer 90% nanoplastiek is. Dit is baie meer as mikroplastiek wat in die vorige studie gerapporteer is.
Hierdie studie dra nie net by tot die kennisbasis van plastiekbesoedeling nie, maar stel voor dat die fragmentasie van plastiek verder op nanovlak vanaf mikrovlak voortduur. Op hierdie vlak, plastiek kan die biologiese hindernisse soos bloed-brein versperring en plasenta versperring oorsteek en biologiese sisteme binnegaan wat 'n rede tot kommer vir menslike gesondheid is.
Bewyse oor potensiële toksisiteit van nanoplastiek en skade aan menslike gesondheid is beperk, maar daar is aanduidings oor hul betrokkenheid by fisiese stres en skade, apoptose, nekrose, inflammasie, oksidatiewe stres en immuunresponse.
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Verwysings:
1. Mason S.A., Welch V.G. and Neratko J. 2018. Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Bottled water. Frontiers in Chemistry. Published 11 September 2018. Sec. Analytical Chemistry Volume 6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2018.00407
2. Qian N., et al 2024. Vinnige enkeldeeltjie chemiese beelding van nanoplastiek deur SRS-mikroskopie. Gepubliseer 8 Januarie 2024. PNAS. 121 (3) e2300582121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2300582121
3. Yee MS et al 2021. Impak van mikroplastiek en nanoplastiek op menslike gesondheid. Nanomateriale. Volume 11. Uitgawe 2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11020496
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