Unravelling protein corona formation on pristine and leached microplastics

Abstract Upon entering the environment, the surface properties of pristine plastics are rapidly altered due to interactions with exogenous biomolecules, contaminants, and even microbiota, which ultimately alter their ecological impacts. When present in biological fluids or high protein environments, micro(nano)plastics bind with proteins, which form a protein corona around the particle. Although a significant body of literature exists on protein corona formation on nanomaterials, less is known about how the physiochemical properties of microplastics may influence protein corona formation. This study utilises quantitative proteomics to quantify protein binding to pristine and leached microplastics. Pristine polyethylene (PE) beads (50 and 500 μm), polyamide (PA) fibres (100 μm), polyethylene terephthalate fibres (500 μm), and fragments (