We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Enrichment of Organophosphate Esters in the Sea Surface Microlayer from the Atlantic and Southern Oceans
AI summary Read the abstract
This study assessed the effectiveness of conventional and advanced water treatment technologies in removing microplastics from drinking water in Brazilian treatment plants. Coagulation-flocculation processes reduced particle loads substantially but did not achieve complete removal, with efficiencies varying by particle size, shape, and polymer type.
The sea surface microlayer (SML) is the thin interface between the ocean and the atmosphere, exhibiting an enrichment of hydrophobic and surfactant-like chemicals. Here we report the concentrations of organophosphate esters (OPEs), widely used flame retardants and plasticizers, in the SML and underlying waters from a north–south transect in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans. Generally, concentrations of OPEs in the SML were higher than in the underlying waters. Concentrations in the SML were correlated with the chlorophyll α content for some OPEs, consistent with biogenic surfactants at the SML. The enrichment factors (ratio of concentrations in SML over concentrations in underlying waters) were 5.84 ± 8.97 and 9.10 ± 9.48 for the Atlantic and Southern Oceans, respectively. The average enrichment factors in sea spray aerosols (SSA), estimated using previously reported aerosol-phase concentrations, ranged from 3.69 × 104 to 3.33 × 106. These OPE enrichments in SSA are high and suggest that the formation of SSA, mediated by the enrichment in the SML, could be relevant for many semivolatile organic pollutants. Future research is needed to elucidate the variables driving the enrichment in the SML, its large variability, as well as its role in the fate of organic pollutants.
More Papers Like This
Organophosphate Esters in Marine Environments: Source, Transport and Distribution
AI summary Read the abstract
This review systematically examines organophosphate esters (OPEs) — widely used flame retardants and plasticizers — in marine environments, finding that they enter oceans primarily via river input and atmospheric transport, with concentrations ranging from picograms to nanograms per gram in sediments, and calling for improved predictive models to assess ecological risks.
Enrichment of organophosphate esters in the surface microlayer of a subtropical urban lake: Phase partitioning dynamics and air-water exchange implications
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that flame-retardant and plasticizer chemicals (called OPEs) build up at surprisingly high levels in the thin surface layer of an urban lake—sometimes hundreds of times more concentrated than in the water below. This matters because these chemicals are common in household products and have been linked to health concerns, and this "skin" of concentrated chemicals on water surfaces affects how much of them evaporate into the air we breathe versus staying in water, meaning current pollution models may be underestimating human exposure risks.
Phthalate Transfer and Enrichment in Artificial Sea Spray Aerosols
AI summary Read the abstract
Ocean waves create sea spray that can carry toxic chemicals called phthalates (used in plastics) into the air we breathe. Scientists found that certain phthalates get concentrated in sea spray aerosols, meaning you may inhale higher levels of these harmful chemicals when near the ocean. This research shows the ocean surface plays a major role in moving plastic chemicals from water into the atmosphere.
Nanoplastic–lipid interactions at marine relevant interfaces: implications for atmospheric chemistry
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined what happens when nanoplastics become incorporated into sea spray aerosols — the tiny droplets that burst into the air when waves break — finding that nanoplastics alter the structure and composition of the lipid films that coat these airborne droplets. Since these lipid layers influence how aerosols behave chemically in the atmosphere, nanoplastics could be subtly changing atmospheric chemistry and cloud formation in ocean regions. This is a relatively unexplored pathway by which plastic pollution may have broader environmental consequences beyond the ocean surface.
Dynamics of microplastics across the air–sea interface: enrichment in the sea-surface microlayer, foam, and links to regional biogeochemistry
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles are heavily concentrated in the thin layer at the ocean's surface and in sea foam - up to 100 times more than in deeper water below. These microplastics are constantly moving between the air and sea, with the smallest pieces traveling fastest and potentially spreading pollution over long distances. This matters because these surface waters and sea foam are where marine life feeds and where people swim, meaning we're likely exposed to much higher levels of plastic pollution than previously thought.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.