The effects of size and surface functionalization of polystyrene nanoplastics on stratum corneum model membranes: An experimental and computational study

Nanoplastics are mainly generated from the decomposition of plastic waste and artificial production and have attracted much attention due to their wide distribution in the environment and the potential risk for humans. As the largest organ of the human body, the skin is inevitably in contact with nanoplastics. Stratum corneum is the first barrier when the skin is exposed to nanoplastics. However, little is known about the interactions between nanoplastics and stratum corneum. Here, the effects of particle size and surface functionalization (amino-modified and carboxy-modified) of polystyrene nanoplastics on the stratum corneum models were studied by Langmuir monolayer and molecular dynamics simulations. An equimolar mixture of ceramide/cholesterol/free fatty acid was used to mimic stratum corneum inter-cellular lipids. The Langmuir monolayer studies demonstrated that the larger size and surface function-alization of polystyrene nanoplastics significantly reduced the stability of stratum corneum lipid monolayer in a concentration-dependent fashion. Simulation results elucidated that functionalized poly-styrene oligomers had a stronger interaction with lipid components of the stratum corneum model mem-brane. The cell experiments also indicated that functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics, especially for amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics, had significant cytotoxicity on normal human dermal fibrob-last cells. Our results provide fundamental information and the basis for a deeper understanding of the health risks of nanoplastics to humans.(c) 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Nanoplastics, generated from plastic waste and artificial production, have gained attention due to their wide distribution in the environment and potential risk for humans. This study investigated the interactions between nanoplastics and stratum corneum using Langmuir monolayer and molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that larger size and surface functionalization of polystyrene nanoplastics significantly reduced the stability of the stratum corneum lipid monolayer. Cell experiments also indicated significant cytotoxicity of functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics on human dermal fibroblast cells, especially amino-modified ones. These findings provide fundamental information for understanding the health risks of nanoplastics.