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Port-driven coupling of carbonaceous aerosols and airborne microplastics in a coastal city
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Researchers studying air near a busy port city in Mexico found that soot-like pollution particles and tiny airborne microplastic fibers tend to show up together in the air people breathe, likely both coming from port and ship activity. This matters because it suggests that living near ports may mean inhaling not just traditional pollution, but also a steady stream of microplastic fibers alongside it — a combined exposure that current air quality monitoring often overlooks.
Abstract Ports are major but often under characterized drivers of urban air pollution in coastal cities, where maritime activity interacts with urban emissions and local meteorology. Here, we investigate the coupling between carbonaceous aerosols and airborne microplastics (MPs) in a port-influenced urban environment in Veracruz, Mexico. PM 10 and PM 2.5 samples were collected in a coastal urban area adjacent to port operations and analyzed for elemental composition (x-ray fluorescence), carbon fractions (organic, elemental, and total carbon by thermal-coulombimetry), and airborne MPs (optical microscopy with micro- Fourier transform infrared confirmation). Carbonaceous aerosols dominated the fine particle fraction, with mean PM 2.5 concentrations of 11.9 (2.4) µ g m −3 for organic carbon and 3.0 (1.2) µ g m −3 for elemental carbon. Airborne MPs were consistently detected at concentrations of 6.7 (0.5) MPs m −3 , with fibers as the prevailing morphology. A strong positive correlation ( r = 0.81) between MPs abundance and organic carbon indicates that airborne MPs co-vary with carbonaceous aerosols and contribute to the refractory organic carbon pool in the urban atmosphere. Elemental patterns and sulfur enrichment further support the influence of port-related combustion and cargo-handling activities, modulated by coastal wind regimes. These results indicate that port activity sustains a persistent urban background of carbonaceous aerosols and airborne MPs in coastal cities, highlighting ports as long-term sources shaping atmospheric composition and exposure in nearby urban neighborhoods. This integrated perspective emphasizes the role of port infrastructure in coastal urban climate systems and underscores the need to consider MPs alongside conventional carbonaceous aerosols in assessments of urban air quality and population exposure.
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