About This Project

I’m interested in determining if lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) can capture polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), persistent pollutants found in soil and water. Due to their chemical stability, PCBs are hard to remove - they are resistant to environmental degradation. To test this, spectroscopy will be used to measure how much of the PCB compound, hexafluorobiphenyl, can be incorporated into LNPs. If successful, this method may be expanded to remove other environmental toxins.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

This study is aimed at investigating the use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) as a vehicle for the absorption of compounds posing an environmental hazard. One class of compounds considered to be a growing concern are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) [ref]. These compounds can slowly leach into the ground water where they are deposited into the soil eventually leading to contamination of surrounding water sources. A major subclass of persistent organic pollutants are the polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, PCBs, which share a similar basic chemical structure. These compounds are remarkably stable and resistant to environmental degradation causing them to accumulate and pose serious environmental and health concerns.

What is the significance of this project?

Only now are we becoming increasingly aware of their potential threat to the environment and human health. Once exposed, PCBs, also known by their commercial name, Aroclor, can cross the cell membrane and bind with receptors in both human and mouse models leaving organisms susceptible to its unpredictable and sometimes negative effects.[ref] Aroclor 1260, also known as 2,2’,3,3’, 4,4’-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCBP), can induce human receptor activation and mimic the role of adipose tissue in hormone signaling and reproductive processes as well as patterns of protein expression. [ref: 1,2,3,4]
They can also have significant environmental impacts by altering the local ecosystem and are believed to promote the growth and invasiveness of microbial species like cyanobacteria leading to formation of algal blooms. [ref]

What are the goals of the project?

To evaluate the effectiveness of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in capturing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), I will prepare LNPs from dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), utilizing sonication in a buffered solution with 25 mg of DPPC per batch. HCBP will be added first, followed by LNPs, then incubated at room temperature for several hours. The unique spectroscopic signatures of PCBs enable precise quantification of their removal from solution, as these signals are not masked by the lipid background. After incubation, LNPs will be recovered via centrifugal concentrators or dialysis. The sequestered HCBP will be extracted from the nanoparticles and quantified using a spectroscopic assay. In this investigation, PCB quantities will range from 0.0 to 1.0 mg (previously established dynamic range), while multiple DPPC quantities will be tested to establish optimal binding conditions. Further studies will assess the impact of environmental factors such as pH and soil composition.