Interactions between oligomeric polymers and lung-sufactant liposome underpinning inhalation risks of airborne plastics

Plastics are widespread in our daily life - from tea bags to coffee cups and water bottles – with various types such as polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), as well as perfluorinated polymers (PFAs). The global annual production of plastic waste was 390.7 million metric tons in 2021, and the amount is projected to triple by 2060.2 Plastics may break down to smaller particles, and ultimately oligomeric polymers, via photo- or bio-degradation. These particles or oligomers ultimately accumulate in the ocean, soil, and atmosphere, posing potential risks to ecosystems and human health. Some of these would become airborne, and humans are particularly vulnerable to inhalation risks of airborne plastics; however, our understanding of how oligomeric polymers interact with the lung is very limited. Here, we propose to study interactions of oligomeric polystyrene and trifluroacetic acid (TFA), which represent the ultimate molecular form of degraded plastics, with liposomes comprising lung lipids/surfactants, using small angle neutron scattering (SANS), varying the oligomer concentraton, solution temperature and salt concentration. The results will add to our fundamental understanding of how oligomers from plastic degradation disrupt the lipid membrane.