2. Academic Validation
  3. Enhanced cytotoxicity of photoaged phenol-formaldehyde resins microplastics: Combined effects of environmentally persistent free radicals, reactive oxygen species, and conjugated carbonyls

Enhanced cytotoxicity of photoaged phenol-formaldehyde resins microplastics: Combined effects of environmentally persistent free radicals, reactive oxygen species, and conjugated carbonyls

  • Environ Int. 2020 Dec;145:106137. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106137.
Kecheng Zhu 1,  Hanzhong Jia 2,  Yajiao Sun 1,  Yunchao Dai 1,  Chi Zhang 1,  Xuetao Guo 1,  Tiecheng Wang 1,  Lingyan Zhu 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China.
  • 2 Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China. Electronic address: jiahz@nwafu.edu.cn.
  • 3 Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China. Electronic address: zhuly@nankai.edu.cn.
PMID: 32961468 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106137
Abstract

Phenol-formaldehyde resin microplastic (PF-MP) is one of the major inhalable microplastics in environments released from the manufacture, processing and usage of PF Materials. The associated toxicities of PF-MP might be affected by photoaging. In this study, the dynamic evolutions of the oxidative potential (OP) and redox-active species, including environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), peroxides and conjugated carbonyls, as well as the associated cytotoxicity of PF-MP were systematically investigated as a result of the simulated sunlight irradiation. As the photoaging time extended, the OP of PF-MP increased. The contents of the produced conjugated carbonyls, ROS and PF-bound EPFRs due to light irradiation increased as well, and displayed significant correlations with the OP (Spearman r > 0.6, p < 0.05). The photoaged PF-MP distinctly increased the cellular ROS and reduced the cell viability of human lung epithelial adenocarcinoma cells (A549). The cytotoxicity of PF-MP showed a similar trend with the OP level in PF-MP, suggesting that the produced active species induced the in vitro toxicities. The results not only highlight the adverse health effects of photoaged PF-MP, but also provide new perspectives for the environmental risks of airborne MPs.

Keywords

Cytotoxicity; Environmentally persistent free radicals; Oxidative potential; PF-MP; Reactive oxygen species.

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