Underestimated danger

Study: Nanoplastics in the body inhibit antibiotics

If the small plastic particles enter the body, they can influence the effect of medication.

(Bild: Pcess609 - stock.adobe.com)

Nanoplastics are smaller than 0.001 millimeters and are therefore considered to be particularly harmful to humans and the environment. An international research team with significant involvement from MedUni Vienna has investigated whether and how the plastic particles interact with antibiotics in the blood.

As part of the study, a common drug was linked to widespread types of plastic. The researchers chose a broad-spectrum antibiotic - which is used against many bacterial infections, such as those of the respiratory tract, skin or intestines. The plastics were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS), which are components of packaging materials, as well as nylon (N66), which is contained in textiles such as clothing, carpets, sofa covers and curtains.

Using complex computer models, the team led by Prof. Dr. Lukas Kenner (MedUni Vienna), Prof. Dr. Barbara Kirchner (University of Bonn, D.) and Prof. Dr. Oldamur Hollóczki (University of Debrecen in Hungary) was able to prove that the nanoplastic particles can bind the antibiotic and thus reduce its effect. 

"The binding was particularly strong with nylon," emphasizes Prof. Kenner and points out an underestimated danger indoors: "The micro- and nanoplastic load is about five times higher there than outdoors. Nylon is one of the reasons for this. It is released from textiles and enters the body via respiration, for example."

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria develop 
However, another danger also emerged: by binding to the tiny plastic particles, the antibiotic is transported to unintended areas of the body, which not only causes it to lose its targeted effect, but may also cause other undesirable effects, as the expert emphasizes: "What is particularly worrying is our finding that the local concentration of antibiotics on the surface of the nanoplastic particles can increase."

This increase in concentration could lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "At a time when antibiotic resistance is becoming an ever greater threat worldwide, such interactions must be taken into account," says Kenner.

Influence on the treatment of diseases 
"If nanoplastics reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics, the dosage poses a massive problem," explains Prof. Kenner with a view to future studies looking at the influence of nanoplastics on other drugs.