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Atmospheric deposition of microparticles on the seasonally-touristed island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, US
Summary
Scientists collected air samples on Nantucket Island for a year and found tiny plastic particles (mostly fibers) raining down from the atmosphere everywhere, even in this seemingly pristine coastal spot, and levels rose by 50% during the busy tourist season. This matters because it shows these airborne microplastics are essentially inescapable, drifting even to remote islands, which means we're likely breathing them in no matter where we live or vacation.
Major sources of atmospheric microplastic originate from human activities (e.g. construction, driving, laundry, and agriculture dust), along with sea-spray. Due to their small size (< 5 mm), they are easily transported long distances, being found in both urban and remote environments. This research examines the atmospheric deposition of microparticles on a seasonally-touristed island. Nantucket Island, USA, is a unique study site due to its proximity to ocean-atmospheric exchanges and its high influx of seasonal visitors. Atmospheric microparticles were collected at two contrasting sites and analyzed for amount and type from October 2021 to September 2022. Samples were collected each month and processed, counted, and measured. Microparticle flux ranged from 4.6 to 62.2 mp/m2/d and were composed mostly of fibers, > 75 μm. The Hatchery site had an average and s.d. of 28.2 ± 13.3 mp/m2/d and the Station site had an average and s.d. of 15.7 ± 8.2 mp/m2/d. Concentrations during the tourist months were 1.5 times greater than the non-tourist months.