At a Glance
- Plastic waste breaks down into microplastics and nanoplastics that can enter the human body and potentially interact with toxic substances, raising environmental and health concerns.
- A new study found that nanoplastics created from everyday plastic waste can efficiently adsorb heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and zinc.
- Polypropylene nanoplastics were especially effective, absorbing over 99 percent of lead ions within five minutes through adsorption.
- These nanoplastics may increase health risks by transporting heavy metals into living organisms and contributing to bioaccumulation.
- Researchers emphasize the need for further studies to understand the combined toxicity of nanoplastics and heavy metals and to develop pollution mitigation strategies.
Plastic waste is a growing environmental concern, with millions of tons of plastic produced yearly, much of it ending up in landfills or oceans. This plastic breaks down into microplastics and nanoplastics, small particles less than 1,000 nanometers in size. These particles risk the environment and human health, as they can be absorbed into the human body through air, water, and food. A new study has explored how these tiny plastics might be even more harmful than previously thought, as they can interact with toxic heavy metals, making them more dangerous.
In the study published in ACS ES&T Water, researchers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology examined how nanoplastics (NPs) made from common plastic waste—such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP)—can absorb heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and zinc. Using a salt milling method, the team created NPs directly from real-world plastic waste without any additional chemicals. These NPs were then tested for their ability to adsorb harmful metal ions. The results showed that the NPs could efficiently attract and hold onto these toxic metals.
The study found that the NPs had a high capacity to “adsorb” metal ions, particularly lead, with polypropylene (PP) showing the strongest adsorption capabilities; adsorption is the process where the heavy metals stick to the surface of the NPs. For example, PP absorbed over 99% of lead ions in just five minutes. The researchers noted that the interaction between the NPs and the metals was particularly strong, suggesting that the NPs could carry these harmful substances into living organisms, increasing the risk of bioaccumulation and potential health issues.
The findings highlight the importance of understanding how NPs interact with other pollutants, like heavy metals, to assess their toxicity and environmental impact. With NPs being found in human blood, feces, and even placentas, these interactions may pose a significant risk to human health. The researchers stress that more studies are needed to explore these relationships further and develop strategies to mitigate the pollution caused by nanoplastics and their ability to carry dangerous substances.
References
- Pokhrel, A., Islam, M. S., & Mitra, S. (2025). Generation of eroded nanoplastics from real world wastes and their capacity for heavy metal adsorption. ACS ES&T Water, 5(5), 2291–2299. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.4c01191
- Mondal, S. & Phys.org. (2025, May 10). Nanoplastics generated from real-world plastic waste readily adsorb heavy metal ions, study reveals. Phys.Org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-nanoplastics-generated-real-world-plastic.html
