From the food we eat to the air we breathe, microplastics and their even smaller equivalent — nanoplastics — are just about everywhere. And while the body may expel some of the plastics we’ve consumed, there are still plenty that linger in our blood and organs, leading to other health issues.
Recent research, as part of the FFG bridge project Nano-VISION, uses a new sensor platform that allows for a laser to be shone at clear, bodily fluids. Through this process, researchers can now determine the size of nanoplastics in bodily fluids along with their chemical makeup.
With this new technology, the team hopes to one day determine if intraocular lenses — surgically implanted permanent lenses that replace the natural eye lens after cataract surgery — may contribute to nanoplastics in the body.
Laser vs. Microplastics
Harald Fitzek from the Institute of Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), along with an ophthalmologist from Graz, launched the start-up company BRAVE Analytics and the FFG bridge project Nano-VISION about two years ago. One of their goals was to determine what role nanoplastics played in ophthalmology (treatment of eye disorders).
More specifically, they wanted to see if intraocular lenses released nanoplastics into the eye. To test for nanoplastics, the research team used a two-step method. The first step was to draw the bodily fluid through a glass tube that’s part of a sensor platform created by BRAVE analytics. The second step was to shine a weak laser through the fluid or against the fluid’s flow through the glass tubes.
When the laser contacts a nanoplastic particle, it begins to pulse, causing the particle to speed up or slow down, depending on its size. From the velocity, the research team could determine the particles' sizes and their concentration in the liquid.
Read More: Our Brains Are Soaking Up Microplastics More Than Other Organs
Optofluidic Force Induction
According to the study, this method is known as optofluidic force induction and was developed by Christian Hill from BRAVE Analytics at the Medical University of Graz.
Part of the process involved combining optofluidic force induction with Raman spectroscopy — a technique used to determine the mode of vibrations within molecules. In this case, Raman spectroscopy uses Raman scattering, a process that sees how light interacts with molecular vibration. This happens at a different frequency than the laser. Through this, the research team can draw conclusions on the composition of the nanoplastic particles.
“Depending on the material of the focused particles, the frequency values are slightly different in each case and thus reveal the exact chemical composition,” said Fitzek, a Raman spectroscopy expert, in a press release. “This works particularly well with organic materials and plastics.”
What the Future Holds
More research is still needed to determine if intraocular lenses could release nanoplastics into the body, either through general wear or exposure to laser energy. Either way, these findings will be crucial to ophthalmic surgeons and their future patients.
Besides using the laser on bodily fluids to test for plastic compounds, this technology can also help determine the amount of microplastics in drinking water, leading to healthier bodies and water sources.
“Our method for detecting micro- and nanoplastics can be applied to clear body fluids such as urine, tear fluid or blood plasma,” said Fitzek in a press release. “However, it is also suitable for the continuous monitoring of liquid flows in industry as well as drinking and waste water.”
Read More: Microplastic Pollution Is Everywhere, Even in the Exhaled Breath of Dolphins
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A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.
