Researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) have uncovered alarming insights into how nanoplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as “forever chemicals,” disrupt crucial biomolecular structures and functions. These manmade compounds, prevalent in the environment, have been linked to a host of negative health outcomes, and the latest findings suggest they could have profound implications for human development and health.
The team from UTEP showed that nanoplastics, which are small particles formed during the degradation of larger plastic materials, and PFAS, found in products ranging from cookware to clothing, can change proteins present in human breast milk and infant formulas. If this disruption is significant enough, it has the potential to lead to developmental issues.
Dr. Mahesh Narayan, a professor and fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, was part of the team working with these three proteins important to human development: beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, and myoglobin. Their findings are detailed in reports published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.
“By understanding the molecular mechanisms of how nanoplastics and forever chemicals disrupt cellular functions, scientists can develop safer alternatives to these materials,” Narayan said. He underscored the broad public health and environmental policy implications of the research.
One of the most unexpected results was that an area of the proteins, which had originally been alpha helix, was entirely “dissolved” by nanoplastics and PFAS, processed into beta sheets. This modification, which has a precedent in amyloid proteins, may trigger neurodegeneration, as a similar protein structure might lead to neurotoxic effects when synthetic chemicals are present.
Highlights of the research are as follows:
Milk Protein: Beta-Lactoglobulin (BLG)
Infant milk formulas commonly avail BLG, a protein isolated from the milk of sheep and cows, which are imperative carriers of retinol (vitamin A), along with long-chain fatty acids for the vision and neurological development of infants. The current study revealed the reduction of the binding affinity of BLG with the important nutrients following exposure to nanoplastics and PFAS, which could be responsible for a large number of developmental abnormalities in infants. Of interest, for the first time, the researchers documented that PFAS also adheres to the milk protein, which then acts as a transporter of the substances.
Human Breast Milk: Alpha-Lactalbumin
Alpha-lactalbumin is a protein in human breast milk and is responsible for the synthesis of lactose that is consumed by the child to have a healthy and well-balanced diet. The nanoplastics, in combination with PFAS, disrupted the structure of alpha-lactalbumin, and this would lead to the loss of proper lactose formation. This would result in various developmental defects in the child against proper lactose formation such as the development of improper immune systems and not taking minerals properly.
Oxygen Storage: Myoglobin
Myoglobin is a molecule that is a major oxygen store found in the blood and muscle tissue of most mammals. The UTEP team found evidence that nanoplastics and PFAS interfere with myoglobin’s performance, causing injury to it and preventing it from storing oxygen. That can lead to the development of health problems including breathlessness and anemia.
Additional tests indicated that nanoplastics impact worm locomotion similarly to the exposure in paraquat, an herbicide known to be associated with Parkinson’s disease.
“This work has the potential to significantly impact public health and environmental policies,” said Robert Kirken, Ph.D., dean of the College of Science. He said the research by Narayan, Vukovic, and their teams had been pioneering, finding new ways of getting at how these manmade materials disrupt biomolecular functions.
Narayan and his team now look to follow on with additional studies that probe the other plastics and PFAS compounds. Lessons learned from this research drive home the overarching point about the central role scientific investigation continues to play in confronting shared global health challenges.