3D printer waste, a new source of nanoplastic pollutants. (December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rodríguez-Hernández, A.G.; Chiodoni, Angelica; Bocchini, Sergio; Vazquez-Duhalt, Rafael
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 267(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Subjects: Microplastics -- Nanoplastics -- 3D printer waste -- Plastic pollution; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115609
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: Plastics pollution has been recognized as a serious environmental problem. Nevertheless, new plastic uses, and applications are still increasing. Among these new applications, three-dimensional resin printers have increased their use and popularity around the world showing a vertiginous annual-sales growth. However, this technology is also the origin of residues generation from the alcohol cleaning procedure at the end of each printing. This alcohol/resin mixture can originate unintentionally very small plastic particles that usually are not correctly disposed, and as consequence, could be easily released to the environment. In this work, the nanoparticle generation from 3D printer's cleaning procedure and their physicochemical characterization is reported. Nano-sized plastic particles are easily formed when the resin residues are dissolved in alcohol and placed under UV radiation from sunlight. These nanoparticles can agglomerate in seawater showing an average hydrodynamic diameter around 1 μm, whereas the same nanoparticles remain dispersed in ultrapure water, showing a hydrodynamic diameter of ≈ 300 nm. The formed nanoparticles showed an isoelectric point close to pH 2, which can facilitate their interaction with other positively charged pollutants. Thus, these unexpected plastic nanoparticles can become an environmental issue and public health risk. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Plastic nanoparticles are precipitated from 3D printer resin waste under sunlight. Plastic nanoparticles remains monodisperse in water. Plastic nanoparticles were easy internalized by cells in in vitro experiments. 3D printer waste is a new and unquantifiable source of nanoplastic pollution. Abstract : Identification and characterization of a new pollutant nanoplastics source from widely extended home 3D printer technology.