In Vitro Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Assessment of Nano Polyethylene Terephthalate Exposure on A549 Cells

Abstract

Global plastic production in 2019 amounted to 359 million tons, with the European Union contributing 17%. Plastic has caused environmental and health concerns. Nanoplastics, tiny fragments of plastic measuring less than 1μm in size, have become ubiquitous in the environment. As a result of plastic pollution and poor waste management, nanoplastics have infiltrated several ecosystems, including oceans, freshwater bodies, and even the air we breathe. Studies have linked exposure to MP/NP to adverse health effects such as Pneumoconiosis, chronic bronchitis, allergic and asthmatic reactions, and lung and digestive system cancer, raising concerns about their potential health effects. This study aims to assess two main biological adverse effects of nanoplastics, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity, on human lung carcinoma epithelial cells (A549). We chose polyethylene terephthalate (PET) because it is one of the top-produced plastic polymers. We found that NPET significantly induces ROS production and DNA strand breaks = 0.10 lesions/106 bp at the highest concentration (125 μg/ml).