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Assessing the impact of marine litter hotspot on atmospheric microplastics: A study of a coastal village
Summary
Researchers measured airborne microplastic concentrations near a marine litter hotspot in a coastal village in Taiwan and found an average of 1.35 particles per cubic meter of air, with the highest levels in spring. The study provides evidence that accumulated marine litter on coastlines can serve as a source of atmospheric microplastics, potentially affecting air quality in nearby communities.
Marine litter and microplastics (MPs) represent pressing environmental challenges. However, the impact of marine litter on airborne MPs near marine litter hotspot remains unexplored. In this study, we simultaneously collected airborne MPs, weather factors, and air pollutants in a village near a marine litter hotspot across different seasons in Taiwan. Multiple methods were employed to evaluate whether the marine litter hotspot was a source of airborne MPs. The average MP concentration was 1.35 ± 1.33 particles/m³, with the highest concentration recorded in spring (3.06 ± 1.63 particles/m³) and the lowest in winter (0.61 ± 0.49 particles/m³). The dominant shapes and size ranges of MPs were fragment and 3-50 μm, respectively. The major polymer composition of the MPs was identified as polyamide. Wind rose, bivariate polar plot, and backward trajectories illustrated that the air mass passing through the marine litter hotspot exhibited higher MP concentrations in the study area in spring, fall, and winter. Factor analysis suggested that thermal and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure induced the emission of MPs from plastic items. In contrast, local activities may be a source of MPs in the study area during summer. Overall, this study revealed that higher MP concentrations were observed in the village near marine litter hotspot when the predominant directions from marine litter hotspot, with thermal and UV light exposure being the degradation mechanisms. This study also highlighted the need to reduce marine litter to mitigate MP pollution near hotspots in the atmosphere.