Particles From Common Household Paints Can Harm Living Organisms

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The scientists likewise discovered that a brand-new membrane showed effective filtering impacts.

Researchers from the University of Bayreuth have actually taken a look at 2 basic dispersion paints and discovered that they include many strong particles that are hardly a couple of micro- or nanometers in size.

Dispersion paints are typically utilized in houses to paint walls and ceilings. An interdisciplinary research study group from the University of Bayreuth has actually just recently taken a look at the chemical makeup of 2 typical dispersion paints and recognized a considerable variety of strong particles as little as a couple of micro- or nanometers. These particles have actually been displayed in research studies on biological test systems to be hazardous to live organisms. These particles can be removed of water prior to getting in the environment utilizing a brand-new membrane established at the University of Bayreuth.

Dispersion paint components

The Bayreuth research study on dispersion paint components and their prospective effect on living organisms was released in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety It is based upon close interdisciplinary cooperation at the University of Bayreuth’s Collaborative Research Center 1357“Microplastics” The scientists selected 2 extensively readily available dispersion paints that are typically utilized in houses.

These are identified mainly by their leaking homes considering that they were created for wall painting on the one hand and ceiling painting on the other. The solids material of the 2 paints is 49 and 21% by weight, respectively, while the natural material is 57 and 7% by weight. Characteristic strong parts in the micro- or nanometer variety are particles of silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, and calcium carbonate, along with particles of different sort of plastic, particularly polyacrylate.

“Many of these tiny particles enter the environment, for example, through abrasion of the paint layers or weathering. Our study now shows that when brushes, rollers, scrapers, and buckets used in painting walls and ceilings are cleaned by washing out paint residues, the particles from the dispersion paints can end up in wastewater and thus also in the environment. The impact on the environment needs to be thoroughly investigated, which is all the more urgent given the worldwide spread of dispersion paints and their diverse material compositions. That is why we have not limited ourselves to the chemical analysis of paint components, but have also investigated their effects on living organisms and cells,” states ProfessorDr Andreas Greiner, deputy spokesperson of the Collaborative Research Center “Microplastics”.

Effects on living organisms

For their queries, the Bayreuth researchers picked 2 test systems that have actually been well developed in research study: water fleas of the types Daphnia magna and a line of mouse cells. The water fleas were checked according to OECD standards for the screening of chemicals. In this test, the movement of the organisms is thought about. It was discovered that the movement of the water fleas was considerably lowered when the water included a high percentage of liquified and undissolved inorganic nanoplastic and microplastic particles.

In mouse cells, a decline in cell activity was observed, which was usually brought on by particles in the nanometer variety. Metabolism in the mouse cells was considerably interfered with by nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and plastics in specific.

“Our research shows that the ingredients of dispersion paints can cause reactions of varying degrees in organisms and cells. Therefore, the possibility that the ingredients could be harmful to the environment cannot be ruled out. Further research in this area is urgently needed, especially since we still know far too little about whether interactions between nanoparticles made of plastic and inorganic nanoparticles can trigger additional damage,” discusses ProfessorDr Christian Laforsch, spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Center “Microplastics”.

“It is likewise still a largely unresolved question how the ingredients of dispersion paints interact with other substances in different environmental compartments – for example, in the air, in the soil, or in rivers. However, it is already clear that dispersion paints should not be carelessly disposed of in the environment,” states ProfessorDr Ruth Freitag, who is Chair of Process Biotechnology at the University of Bayreuth.

An unique membrane with high filtering impacts

Parallel to the research studies of dispersion paints and their possible impacts, scientists under the instructions ofProf Dr. Andreas Greiner have actually concentrated on a more task: They have actually established a brand-new procedure to get rid of possibly hazardous particles from dispersion wall paints from wastewater by filtering. This includes making use of a membrane made from functionalized fibers produced by the electrospinning procedure. The membrane maintains micro- and nanometer-sized particles in various methods.

On the one hand, the pores of the membrane are so great that microparticles are not permitted to go through. On the other hand, interactions in between the membrane fibers and nanoparticles trigger them to adhere to the membrane surface area despite the fact that they would suit the pores. In both cases, the filtering impact is not connected with quick and massive blocking of the pores. Therefore, water, for instance, can quickly go through the membrane and overflow.

In the journal Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, the Bayreuth researchers explain the effective application of the membrane. They likewise checked the 2 dispersion paints that had actually shown possibly hazardous to living organisms in the research study. As it ended up, the membrane has the ability to maintain common color parts– in specific nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and polyacrylate, and microparticles of calcium carbonate.

“In everyday life, all these color components are discharged together into the wastewater. Here they mix and in some cases even change their structures and properties due to their interactions. Therefore, we specifically tested the filtration performance of our electrospun membrane on such mixtures. The high filtering effects we have achieved show that this process has great potential when it comes to purifying water from particles in the micro and nanometer range, such as those contained in commonly used paints around the world,” states Greiner.

References: “Disentangling biological effects of primary nanoplastics from dispersion paints’ additional compounds” by Ann-Kathrin Müller, Julian Brehm, Matthias Völkl, Val érie Jérôme, Christian Laforsch, Ruth Freitag and Andreas Greiner, 16 July 2022, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
DOI: 10.1016/ j.ecoenv.2022113877

“Filtration of Paint-Contaminated Water by Electrospun Membranes” by Ann-Kathrin Müller, Zhi-Kang Xu and Andreas Greiner, 18 July 2022, Macromolecular Materials and Engineering
DOI: 10.1002/ mame.202200238