Ji Shanshan, Wang Wei, Wang Yong, Bai Hexiang, Li Zhuo, Huo Zongli, Luo Kai
Key Laboratory of Environmental Medical Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China.
Institute of Forensic Science and Technology of Nanjing Public Security Bureau, Nanjing 210001, China.
Toxics. 2025 May 29;13(6):452. doi: 10.3390/toxics13060452.
The rapid increase in plastic production and consumption has intensified research into human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) and their health effects. This study quantitatively assessed MNP internal exposure levels in non-invasive human samples, focusing on the four most common types of MNPs (≥300 nm): polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polystyrene (PS). Urine samples from 18 volunteers (4 males, 14 females) were analyzed using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) with P(E-C) as an internal standard. The study developed a straightforward yet effective analytical approach for quantifying MNPs in biological fluids. MNPs were detected in all urine samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.098 to 0.986 μg/mL and an average concentration of 0.268 ± 0.235 μg/mL. LDPE, 0.074 μg/mL (interquartile range: 0.030-0.243 μg/mL), was the most abundant polymer, accounting for 67.72% of the total MNPs, followed by PS at 21.17%, while PP and PET accounted for 7.06% and 4.05%, respectively. The results also suggest that drinking water type may serve as a distinct source of MNPs in urine. This study provides novel evidence on MNP (≥300 nm) internal exposure in humans and the influence of drinking habits, highlighting the application prospects of this method in assessing the potential health risks of MNPs.
塑料生产和消费的迅速增长加剧了对人类接触微塑料和纳米塑料（MNP）及其健康影响的研究。本研究定量评估了非侵入性人体样本中MNP的体内暴露水平，重点关注四种最常见的MNP类型（≥300 nm）：聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯（PET）、聚丙烯（PP）、低密度聚乙烯（LDPE）和聚苯乙烯（PS）。使用以P（E-C）为内标的热解气相色谱-质谱联用仪（Py-GC/MS）分析了18名志愿者（4名男性，14名女性）的尿液样本。该研究开发了一种简单而有效的分析方法来定量生物体液中的MNP。所有尿液样本中均检测到MNP，浓度范围为0.098至0.986 μg/mL，平均浓度为0.268±0.235 μg/mL。LDPE含量最高，为0.074 μg/mL（四分位间距：0.030 - 0.243 μg/mL），占总MNP的67.72%，其次是PS，占21.17%，而PP和PET分别占7.06%和4.05%。结果还表明，饮用水类型可能是尿液中MNP的一个独特来源。本研究为人类MNP（≥300 nm）的体内暴露以及饮水习惯的影响提供了新的证据，突出了该方法在评估MNP潜在健康风险方面的应用前景。
