Influence of the polymer type of a microplastic challenge on the reaction of murine cells

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2024-03, Vol.465, p.133280, Article 133280
• Main Authors: Jasinski, Julia, Völkl, Matthias, Wilde, Magdalena V., Jérôme, Valérie, Fröhlich, Thomas, Freitag, Ruth, Scheibel, Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: cellulose acetate; Cellulose acetate microparticles; cytotoxicity; epithelium; macrophages; mice; microplastics; Particle-cell interaction; pollution; polyethylene; polylactic acid; Polymer particles; polypropylenes; polystyrenes; Protein corona; Reactive oxygen species; wastes
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133280

Due to global pollution derived from plastic waste, the research on microplastics is of increasing public interest. Until now, most studies addressing the effect of microplastic particles on vertebrate cells have primarily utilized polystyrene particles (PS). Other studies on polymer microparticles made, e.g., of polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), or poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET), cannot easily be directly compared to these PS studies, since the used microparticles differ widely in size and surface features. Here, effects caused by pristine microparticles of a narrow size range between 1 - 4 µm from selected conventional polymers including PS, PE, and PVC, were compared to those of particles made of polymers derived from biological sources like polylactic acid (PLA), and cellulose acetate (CA). The microparticles were used to investigate cellular uptake and assess cytotoxic effects on murine macrophages and epithelial cells. Despite differences in the particles' properties (e.g. ζ-potential and surface morphology), macrophages were able to ingest all tested particles, whereas epithelial cells ingested only the PS-based particles, which had a strong negative ζ-potential. Most importantly, none of the used model polymer particles exhibited significant short-time cytotoxicity, although the general effect of environmentally relevant microplastic particles on organisms requires further investigation. [Display omitted] •Microparticles of PE, PS, PVC, PLA, CA differ in their particle surface properties.•Protein corona and cellular interaction differences are based on the polymer used.•Microparticles show no immediate toxicity in macrophages and epithelial cells.