PlasticHeal

Primary plastics could be degraded to nanoscale particles at environmental conditions. These particles are persistent and accumulate in abiotic and biotic environments. Ingestion of food and inhalation of plastics are two main routes of human exposure to micro and nanoplastics (MNPLs). However, there is only very limited information on their potential impact on human health. In this context, the PLASTICHEAL project aims at providing new methodologies and evidence to regulators by combining the use of breakthrough research and reliable test methods to set the knowledge basis for adequate risk assessment of MNPLs. The team of Dr. Estrela-Lopis is involved in four workpackages: Enviromental Monitoring, Human Biomonitoring, Impact on GIT(gastrointestinal)&RT(respiratory) barriers and Fate& Bioaccumulation in in vivo models.

The main issues to be addressed by the Leipzig group:

• methodology development towards the needs of detection, chemical identification, quantification and visualization of MNPLs in air, food, water as well as in urine, blood, faeces and exhaled breath condensates of patients undergoing frequent dialysis and of workers of the Plastics Industry and in greenhouses;
• transformation and degradation monitoring of MNPLs in biological and environmental media;
• visualization and quantification of translocation of MNPLs through barriers  and their uptake at subcellular level in single cells by means of high resolution space resolved element and molecule based analysis; 
• monitoring of plastic induced biochemical changes and their interaction with biomolecules within single living cells;
• study of fate and bioaccumulation in in vivo models using 3D-CRM (confocal Raman microscopy) and element-based dosimetric imaging.