Acute and chronic toxicity of cationic polyquaterniums of varying charge density and molecular weight to Daphnia magna and Ceriodaphnia dubia.

Cationic polymers have the unique ability to neutralize negative charge with practical applications in personal care products, such as shampoos, conditioners, contact lens solutions, and as flocculants in wastewater treatment processes. Cationic polymers are a diverse class of materials varying in structural composition, cationic charge density (CD), and molecular weight (MW). In this study, we investigated three classes of polyquaternium cationic polymers (PQ-6, PQ-10, PQ-16) of varying CD and MW to characterize their toxicity to aquatic invertebrates.

Environmental hazard of cationic polymers relevant in personal and consumer care products: A critical review.

Historically, polymers have been excluded from registration and evaluation under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) program, the European chemical management program. Recently, interest has increased to include polymers. A tiered registration system has been envisioned and would begin with classes of polymers of greater interest based on certain properties.

Plastic nanoparticles cause mild inflammation, disrupt metabolic pathways, change the gut microbiota and affect reproduction in zebrafish: A full generation multi-omics study.

Plastic pollution has become a major concern on a global scale. The plastic is broken down into minuscule particles, which have an impact on the biosystems, however long-term impacts through an entire generation is largely unknown. Here, we present the first whole generation study exposing fish to a 500 nm polystyrene plastic particle at environmentally relevant concentrations.