Bioeffects of Inhaled Nanoplastics on Neurons and Alteration of Animal Behaviors through Deposition in the Brain

(doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04184)

Luke Jernigan

Cal Poly Humboldt Biochemistry Major

December 02nd, 2022 2:00 – 2:50PM (SciA 564)

ABSTRACT

Millions of tons of plastics pollute our planet’s marine and freshwater ecosystems despite great mitigation efforts. The impact of nanoplastics on the brains of mammalian species within these ecosystems is not well understood. In this talk, we will show how different surface groups, namely -NH2 and -COOH, affect the cellular uptake of nanoplastics. We will use a microfluidic chip to control the concentration gradient of the nanoplastics in a cell medium and show how the inhalation of nanoplastics caused a decrease in active behavior among affected mice. The results from this work open new avenues for further research into the effects of nanoplastics on the brain.