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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
Published on: March 2, 2020
Nanoparticular surface-bound PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs-a novel class of potentially higher toxic POPs
Peter Schön1,2, Georgios Ctistis1,3, Wouter Bakker1
1NanoBioInterface Research Group, School of Life Science, Engineering, and Design, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, M.H. Tromplaan 28, P.O. Box 70.000, 7500 KB, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
In a previous study, Env Sci Poll Res:1-7, 2015 showed that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzo furanes (PCDFs) are found in commercially available (nano) particular titanium dioxide as a result of the fabrication. Here, we give a brief perspective and reason the toxicity of these new classes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by reviewing also their nanoparticular properties, such as surface-to-volume ratio, photocatalytic activity, polarity shifts, and stealth effect. These insights point towards a new class of POPs and toxicologic effects, which are related to the size but not a result of nanotechnology itself. We pave the way to the understanding of until now unresolved very complex phenomena, such as the indoor exposure, formation, and transformation of POP and sick-building syndrome. This is a fundamental message for nanotoxicology and kinetics and should be taken into account when determining the toxicity of nanomaterials and POPs separately and as a combination.

