Zhao Zongshan, Li Haimei, Yao Jiaqiang, Lan Jing, Bao Yan, Zhao Lining, Zong Wansong, Zhang Qing, Hollert Henner, Zhao Xingchen
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China.
Environ Sci Technol. 2023 Mar 21;57(11):4464-4470. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09090. Epub 2023 Mar 9.
Human serum albumin (HSA) was used as a model protein to explore the effects of brominated flame retardant (BFR) binding and the corona formation on polystyrene nanoplastics (PNs). Under physiological conditions, HSA helped to disperse PNs but promoted the formation of aggregates in the presence of tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA, Δ = 135 nm) and S (TBBPS, Δ = 256 nm) at pH 7. At pH 4, these aggregates became larger with fewer electrostatic repulsion effects (Δ = 920 and 691 nm for TBBPA and TBBPS, respectively). However, such promotion effects as well as BFR binding are different due to structural differences of tetrabromobisphenol A and S. Environmental kosmotropes efficiently stabilized the structure of HSA and inhibited BFR binding, while the chaotropes favored bioconjugated aggregate formation. Such effects were also verified in natural seawater. The newly gained knowledge may help us anticipate the behavior and fate of plastic particles and small molecular pollutants in both physiological and natural aqueous systems.
人血清白蛋白（HSA）被用作模型蛋白，以探究溴化阻燃剂（BFR）结合以及电晕形成对聚苯乙烯纳米塑料（PNs）的影响。在生理条件下，HSA有助于分散PNs，但在pH值为7时，在四溴双酚A（TBBPA，Δ = 135 nm）和S（TBBPS，Δ = 256 nm）存在的情况下会促进聚集体的形成。在pH值为4时，这些聚集体变得更大，静电排斥作用更少（TBBPA和TBBPS的Δ分别为920和691 nm）。然而，由于四溴双酚A和S的结构差异，这种促进作用以及BFR结合情况有所不同。环境中的促溶剂有效地稳定了HSA的结构并抑制了BFR结合，而离液剂则有利于生物共轭聚集体的形成。在天然海水中也验证了这种效果。新获得的知识可能有助于我们预测塑料颗粒和小分子污染物在生理和天然水体系中的行为及归宿。
