European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

DO MICRO- AND NANO-PLASTIC PARTICLES INTERACT WITH NANOPARTICLES/MATERIALS? AN OVERVIEW

Y.K. Lahir*

ABSTRACT

Micro and nano plastic particles along with nanomaterials are the two intensely associated with man and his anthropogenic innovations. Both of these products are in use in almost all spheres of life, from kitchen to research laboratories and from clothing to domestic and industrial use; above all, these are durable, economical and intended to meet human needs. Both of these groups of materials present in our atmosphere influencing each and every component of environment over the globe. Both groups of these behave like necessary evils. Their production and waste products have increased unprecedently. Micro and nano plastic particles come across various molecules in the environment which are toxic, contaminants, having different chemical nature and composition, properties and show varied degree of reactivities. These get adsorbed on their surface in accordance to the surface properties and enter the biosystem and consequently leave very derogative impacts on the components of environment. The mechanism involved is ambiguous. The investigation in this direction indicates that their interactive behaviour with biosystem is in accordance to conditions like pH, ionic state, type, valence, concentration of salt, shape, size, and type of the polymer and physiological status of the biosystem they encounter. This presentation is an effort to evaluate these interactions and the mechanism (probable) involved.

Keywords: carbon nano-particles, cracking, ecotoxicity, flexibility, graphene, hydrolysis, liposomes, plastics, micro and nano-plastic particles, pH, polydispersity-index, surface properties, up-take of plastic particles, viscosity.