1. a microscopic particle of plastic, typically smaller than one micrometer, that results from the breakdown of larger plastic debris or is produced industrially.
Usage: often used in scientific and environmental contexts; usually plural in discussion of environmental contamination

Examples

• Nanoplastics have been detected in drinking water and marine organisms worldwide.
• Scientists are studying how nanoplastics enter the human body through food and air.
• The breakdown of microplastics in the ocean produces nanoplastics that are difficult to filter.
• Nanoplastics are so small that they can potentially cross biological barriers in living organisms.
• Research on nanoplastics is still in its early stages, but concerns about their health effects are growing.