Korean researchers verify accumulation, toxic effects of nanoplastics inside body
- 5 years ago
A team of Korean researchers demonstrated that nanoplastics, tiny plastic particles that are used in everday items like plastic containers and straws, can accumulate in organs and threaten food safety and human health.
Park Se-young reports.
Zebrafish have the same major organs and tissues as humans.
This fish's body is completely covered in green, …which comes from fluorescent nanoplastics.
Using zebrafish embryos, Korean researchers have verified the accumulation and toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics inside the body.
They found that nanoplastics accumulate throughout the whole body, …especially in lipid-rich regions like the embryo's yolk.
The affected embryo does not look any different, but ultrastructural analysis found it has mitochondrial damage.
The researchers also found that such effects were exacerbated by gold ions in the body.
"Our research shows how nanoplastics can cause harm to the body by reacting with other environmental pollutants."
The study was published in the scientific journal Nanoscale.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.
Park Se-young reports.
Zebrafish have the same major organs and tissues as humans.
This fish's body is completely covered in green, …which comes from fluorescent nanoplastics.
Using zebrafish embryos, Korean researchers have verified the accumulation and toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics inside the body.
They found that nanoplastics accumulate throughout the whole body, …especially in lipid-rich regions like the embryo's yolk.
The affected embryo does not look any different, but ultrastructural analysis found it has mitochondrial damage.
The researchers also found that such effects were exacerbated by gold ions in the body.
"Our research shows how nanoplastics can cause harm to the body by reacting with other environmental pollutants."
The study was published in the scientific journal Nanoscale.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.