Enzyme-functionalized electrochemical sensor for unified quantification of multiple bioabsorbable nanoplastic types in human urine
Abstract
Nanoplastics pose emerging health risk, yet no existing analytical method can quantitatively detect sub‑300 nm nanoplastics in human urine, mainly due to insufficient sensitivity and polymer-dependent limitations. Here, we report a catalase (CAT)‑based electrochemical sensing platform that enables the first quantitative detection of sub‑300 nm nanoplastics in human urine. The sensor leverages a nanoplastic‑induced structural perturbation mechanism, in which hydrophobic‑dominant and electrostatic‑synergistic interactions between nanoplastics and catalase enhance enzymatic activity and generate an amplified electrochemical signal. This mechanism provides unified detection across multiple polymer types and sizes, overcoming the material‑specific limitations of existing analytical approaches. The platform achieves ng·L-¹‑level sensitivity, with a detection limit of 28 ng·L-1 and a linear range of 150-1500 ng·L-1, and requires only a simple centrifugation-filtration pretreatment compatible with routine urine analysis. Application to human urine yielded a total nanoplastic concentration of ~ 1.5 µg·L⁻¹ (RSD 4.4%), demonstrating reliable quantification with low inter‑sample variability. This platform offers a higher sensitivity, polymer-agnostic, and operationally simple approach for biological nanoplastic monitoring.
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