Plastic pandemic: current exposures to microplastics in cities of the São Paulo State, their implications on health, and the impact of the COVID-19

• Grant number: 22/03087-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Initial Project
• Start date: August 01, 2023
• End date: July 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Roberta Cerasi Urban
• Grantee: Roberta Cerasi Urban
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Guilherme Martins Grosseli ; Iseult Lynch Yilmaz ; Pedro Sergio Fadini ; Walter Ruggeri Waldman
• Associated research grant(s): 23/14823-0 - Microplastics and nanoplastics in indoor air: impacts on human health and environmental concerns, AP.R SPRINT
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/05118-4 - Air liquid interface model: implementation and use, BP.TT; 23/06768-0 - Metabolic effects of atmospheric microplastics and nanoplastics collected in cities in the state of São Paulo, BP.DR

Abstract

The widespread production and use of plastics revolutionized the modern world, contributing, for example, to improvements in health, but also causing environmental pollution. Although microplastics (MPs) have been determined in different environments, their presence in the atmosphere is poorly studied, especially in Brazil. Occupational diseases and the presence of these in human tissues, have already been reported, but the implications of atmospheric MPs and nanoplastics (NPs) on human health need to be better understood. The research objective of this project is to determine MPs in the atmosphere and the impact of MPs and NPs on human health, considering the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic context. For this, the determination of MPs present in the atmosphere of cities in the interior of São Paulo State (a remote and a region under anthropic influence in each city will be studied) will be carried out. In addition, studies of MPs emissions to the atmosphere during the radiation aging of disposable masks will be carried out. Additionally, this work aims to study the corona (proteins and metabolites) formed on the MPs and NPs in lung cells during exposure, using an air-liquid interface in vitro cellular model to mimic inhalation exposure. These studies have never been carried out and associated with the exchange of information between the binational multidisciplinary groups involved in this research will be generated results and publications of great impact. The transfer of knowledge, scarce in this area, is another goal of this project. The applicant, as well as undergraduate and graduate students and the public, will develop skills through research, disciplines, courses, teaching materials and discussion forums. The project will also enable the creation of a line of research, and, in the future, the proposition of actions to mitigate exposure to atmospheric MPs and NPs (FAIR principles). (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CARVALHO, JONATAS SCHADECK; DO NASCIMENTO, RITA DE KASSIA SILVA; CINTRA, JOAO VITOR FRANCA DA ROSA FERREIRA; DA ROSA, NATASHA LEANDRA CHIARANDA; GROSSELI, GUILHERME MARTINS; FADINI, PEDRO SERGIO; URBAN, ROBERTA CERASI. Source apportionment and health impact assessment of atmospheric particulate matter in the city of Sao Carlos, Brazil. Chemosphere, v. 326, p. 10-pg., 2023-03-21. (14/50951-4, 18/04820-6, 20/04084-8, 22/03087-9, 21/10187-7)

CARVALHO, JONATAS S.; FERRAZ, GABRIEL M.; BETIM, HUGO L. I.; DO NASCIMENTO, RITA DE KASSIA S.; SCARAMBONI, CAROLINE; URBAN, ROBERTA C.. What Can We Learn about Improvements in Air Quality During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Case Study in Four Cities Located in the Same State but with Different Emission Profiles. Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, v. N/A, p. 14-pg., 2023-07-07. (18/04820-6, 18/17931-0, 22/03087-9)