Shi Changzhi, Wang Mengjing, Wang Zimeng, Qu Guangbo, Jiang Wei, Pan Xiangcheng, Fang Mingliang
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China.
Environ Health (Wash). 2023 Aug 31;1(4):228-235. doi: 10.1021/envhealth.3c00086. eCollection 2023 Oct 20.
Pollution generated by synthetic polymers, particularly plastics, has become a significant global environmental problem. However, when compared to polymer-derived products like microplastics, oligomers have not received the attention they deserve. Oligomers are by-products of polymer production and intermediates of degradation. Despite the industrial advancements leading to an exponential increase in the production of new polymers, a majority of oligomers have remained inadequately researched. While the exposure and toxic effects of polylactic acid oligomers have been documented, the structures and fundamental properties of oligomers derived from most polymers are still poorly understood. This knowledge gap presents challenges in establishing effective analytical methods. Considering the potential of oligomers to act as new pollutants, it is imperative to investigate their environmental behavior, as well as their absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties. This perspective highlights the research gap concerning oligomers.
合成聚合物，尤其是塑料产生的污染已成为一个重大的全球环境问题。然而，与微塑料等聚合物衍生产品相比，低聚物尚未得到应有的关注。低聚物是聚合物生产的副产物和降解中间体。尽管工业进步导致新聚合物产量呈指数级增长，但大多数低聚物仍未得到充分研究。虽然聚乳酸低聚物的暴露和毒性作用已有记录，但大多数聚合物衍生的低聚物的结构和基本性质仍知之甚少。这一知识空白给建立有效的分析方法带来了挑战。考虑到低聚物作为新污染物的潜力，研究它们的环境行为以及吸收、分布、代谢、排泄和毒性（ADMET）特性势在必行。这一观点突出了关于低聚物的研究空白。
