Waterborne Nanoplastics: An Emerging Neurodegenerative Threat Amplified by Aberrant Phase Separation and Oligomerization
Abstract
Recommendations W ith annual production exceeding 400 million metric tons and global recycling rates failing to reach 10%, plastic pollution presents a critical environmental challenge.Consequently, more than 90% of plastic waste accumulates in ecosystems, largely in water bodies.1 There, it fragments through photodegradation, biodegradation, hydrolysis, and mechanical abrasion, generating microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs, <1000 nm).The pervasive contamination of aquatic environments by micro-and nanoplastics (MNPs) establishes a critical and direct exposure route for humans, posing a significant challenge to both ecosystem and human health.Drinking water, a primary vector for human ingestion, has been consistently shown to contain NPs.For instance, a single 1 L bottled water can contain approximately 0.24 million NPs, and a plastic tea bag can release about 11.6 billion MPs and 3.1 billion NPs into hot water.It is estimated that an individual ingests roughly 5 g of plastic per week, a mass equivalent to that of a credit card. 2 However, the health
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