The London Centre for Nanotechnology are delighted to host Dr Stephanie Wright for the next Lunch-and-Learn Seminar! Taking place at RSM G05 (Imperial, South Kensington), 12:00 – 13:00 on November 10th, 2025.
Title: From inhalation to circulation: toxicity of inhaled nanoplastic and their detection in blood
Abstract: Airborne micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are increasingly recognized as complex particulate pollutants with the potential to impact respiratory and systemic health. Experimental studies reveal oxidative stress, inflammation, and epithelial barrier disruption in the lung environment, yet the dosimetry remains uncertain due to variable deposition efficiencies for different MNP. Evidence now suggests that plasticparticles can traverse epithelial barriers and enter circulation, with plastic polymer signatures detected in human blood. This talk will highlight some of the Microplastics team’s (Imperial College London) work on nanoplastic (<1 um) toxicity, dosimetry, and detection in blood, and share some of the analytical and experimental challenges encountered along the way.