We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The temporal and spatial distribution and surface morphology of atmospheric microplastics around the Bohai Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
This study compared atmospheric microplastic pollution in three coastal cities around the Bohai Sea from June 2018 to May 2019, characterizing particle size, morphology, color, and composition. Fibers dominated all samples with over 90% abundance, and annual deposition fluxes ranged from 2.7×10⁴ to 8.9×10⁴ particles per square meter, providing scientific data for coastal air pollution management.
Microplastic pollution has become a key environmental issue. At present, research on microplastic pollution in the atmospheric environment has been carried out only in limited regions. Here, the long-term variation in atmospheric microplastic pollution in different coastal cities around the Bohai Sea was compared by selecting three coastal cities(Yantai, Tianjin and Dalian) as case studies. Atmospheric deposition samples were collected from June 2018 to May 2019. The particle size, color, micro-morphology and components of atmospheric microplastics were characterized by stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and μ-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and the atmospheric deposition flux of microplastics was also calculated. Four types of microplastics comprising fibers, films, fragments and granules were found in the atmospheric deposition samples at the three sampling sites and were dominated by fibers(>90%). The colors of microplastics were mainly transparent, blue, red, and black. Most microplastics were < 1 mm in size and the main components of the identified microplastics were cellophane(>50%) and polyester terephthalate(>30%). All the atmospheric microplastics showed definite surface weathering characteristics. The annual atmospheric deposition flux of microplastics at Yantai, Tianjin and Dalian were 2.7×10~4, 8.9×10~4 and 7.2×10~4 particles per square meter, respectively. The results may provide a scientific basis for investigation of atmospheric microplastic pollution and control in the coastal cities around the Bohai Sea.
More Papers Like This
Characteristics, distribution patterns and sources of atmospheric microplastics in the Bohai and Yellow Seas, China
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the characteristics, distribution patterns, and sources of atmospheric microplastics over the Bohai and Yellow Seas in China during summer and autumn 2022. The study provides new data on airborne microplastic pollution over oceanic regions, an area where information has been limited.
Various forms and deposition fluxes of microplastics identified in the coastal urban atmosphere
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers collected precipitation samples in a Chinese coastal city and found microplastics of multiple shapes deposited from the atmosphere, with seasonal variation in deposition rates. This is one of the first studies to document atmospheric microplastic deposition in a coastal urban environment.
Occurrence, characteristics, and factors influencing the atmospheric microplastics around Jiaozhou Bay, the Yellow Sea
AI summary Read the abstract
Atmospheric microplastics collected around Jiaozhou Bay in China were deposited at rates of up to 80 items per square meter per day, with seasonal variation driven by monsoons — higher deposition in dry seasons — and fragments and polyethylene being the dominant forms. The estimated annual input of microplastics into this bay via atmospheric deposition alone is over 7.6 tons, highlighting that air-to-sea transfer is a substantial and seasonally dynamic pathway for marine microplastic contamination.
Spatio-temporal distribution of plastic and microplastic debris in the surface water of the Bohai Sea, China
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers monitored plastic debris and microplastics in surface waters of the Bohai Sea across four seasons in 2016-2017, finding a mean density of 0.49 particles per square meter with seasonal and spatial variation across macro-, meso-, and micro-size fractions.
Characteristics, sources and influencing factors of atmospheric deposition of microplastics in three different ecosystems of Beijing, China
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers characterized atmospheric microplastic deposition across forest, agricultural, and residential ecosystems in Beijing, finding that residential areas had the highest deposition fluxes, with PET and rayon fibers being the dominant types.
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.