Nanoparticle Pollutants: Can we absorb these?

This lab will help students understand how nanoparticles in our oceans can carry toxic pollutants into our cells, and how this may interfere with proper physiological function of ocean and human life. Many plastics are in our oceans due to pollution, including ocean dumping and land runoff. Sunlight and alkaline ocean water break these plastics down into small particles, many are nanoscale in size. These nanoparticles can easily enter our cells. Students examine if and how these particles cross membranes into cells.