As the interaction of organisms with pollutants in particulate
form is completely different from that with conventional
dissolved chemicals, there is a potential high risk associated
with particles.7,22 Given the limited data, there is an urgent
need to quantify the effects of nanoplastic on freshwater
organisms. Effects of nanoplastic may be related to particle
toxicity, toxicity of plastic-associated chemicals, or both and will
depend on the characteristics of the nanoplastic, such as particle
size, polymer type, and age. However, previous research on
nanoparticle behavior and effects was often conducted using
pristine particles,23 whereas aged and naturally altered particles
are of higher importance considering environmental relevance,
which will therefore be addressed in the present study.