Cited by 309Microplastics and Plastic PollutionEnvironmental Toxicology and EcotoxicologyPharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts

Effect of salinity and humic acid on the aggregation and toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics with different functional groups and charges

Wu, Jiayi, Jiang, Ruifen, Lin, Wei, Ouyang, Gangfeng·2019·Environmental Pollution

Abstract

Studies regarding the effect of environmental factors on the environmental behaviour and potential toxicity of nanoplastics (NPs) are limited but important. In this study, four polystyrene NPs with different functional groups and charges (PS, PS-COOH, n-PSNH 2, p-PSNH 2) were selected to investigate the effect of humic acid (HA) and salinity on their aggregation behaviour and toxicity. The results showed that salinity significantly accelerated the aggregation of the four NPs, while HA mainly exerted a stabilizing effect on the three negatively charged NPs. In contrast, the positively charged p-PSNH 2 aggregated significantly at first but remained stable as HA concentration further increased. The joint effect mainly depended on their concentration ratio. The aggregation phenomena can be explained by the Derjaguin - Landau - Verwey - Overbeek (DLVO) theory. Also, the acute toxicity of NPs on Daphnia magna was affected by the surface charge of NPs, and the positively charged p-PSNH 2 showed the lowest toxicity among the selected NPs. Furthermore, the presence of HA effectively alleviated the toxicity of PS and p-PSNH 2, as the survival rates increased from 15% to 45%-95% and 100% respectively. Our results demonstrate that the surface properties of NPs significantly influence their aggregation and toxicity.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.11.055

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  • A corona increases the likelihood of particle aggregation and changes the particle surface chemistry, which may reduce toxicity.

    “A corona increases the likelihood of particle aggregation and also changes the particles surface chemistry, which may reduce toxicity.145,146”

    From The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview (2021) · cites this paper as [145]

  • Most studies on nanoplastic aggregation and stability in aqueous environments were conducted with manufactured/engineered PS nanoparticles, which complicates extrapolation to other polymer types.

    “Most studies on nanoplastic aggregation and stability in aqueous environments were conducted with manufactured/ engineered PS nanoparticles, 142-145 which complicates extrapolation of these results to other polymer types.”

    From The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview (2021) · cites this paper as [145]

  • The difference in physicochemical characteristics of nanoplastic aggregates compared to parent nanoplastics will affect interactions of nanoplastics and aquatic life.

    “Finally, the difference in physicochemical characteristics of nanoplastic aggregates compared to the parent nanoplastic will also affect interactions of nanoplastics and aquatic life.145,146”

    From The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview (2021) · cites this paper as [145]

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Authors
Wu, J., Jiang, R., Lin, W., & Ouyang, G.
Affiliations
  • Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
  • Jinan University (CN)
Corresponding author
Jiang, Ruifen
Venue
Environmental Pollution
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-02
Volume
245
Pages
836-843
ISSN
0269-7491 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2900727755
Cited by
309
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 26 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 8 · 2013: 1
FWCI
8.62
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Environmental Pollution (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (21777058, 21737006, 21527813, 21677182)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
Keywords
polystyrene nanoplastics, nanoplastic aggregation, humic acid, salinity, nanoplastic toxicity, Daphnia magna, surface charge, functional groups, DLVO theory
MeSH terms
Humic Substances, Models, Chemical, Polystyrenes, Surface Properties, Nanoparticles, Salinity

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