We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Wet and dry deposition of airborne microplastics in urban background site in Helsinki
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured wet and dry deposition of airborne microplastics and tire wear rubber particles at an urban background site in Helsinki, quantifying their contribution to surface contamination. Both microplastics and tire rubber were consistently deposited year-round, with higher fluxes during wetter periods.
Urban environments are increasingly affected by microplastic and tire wear rubber pollution, which pose ecological and human health risks. Since the production of plastics is annually increasing and their applications are broadening, there are potentially myriad types of microplastics sources. Microplastics have been shown to spread in the environment via rivers, wastewater treatment plants, stormwaters, soils and atmosphere. Even though these pathways have been recognized and explored, the results are often not comparable partly due to the unharmonized methodology. In this study, the influence of sampling height and the repeatability of sampling are investigated. Wet and dry deposition samples were collected as three parallel samplings at a height of 4 m (60.20288, 24.96125) and 15 m (60.20342, 24.96088) from ground level in Kumpula campus of University of Helsinki (N60.20, 24.96) that represents an urban background site. The 14-day samples were collected with in-house, plastic-free samplers (sampling area 20 cm in diameter) between April 8 and May 20, 2024. Air quality data and meteorological data including temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity and precipitation were continuously collected at the SMEAR III sampling station (60.20288, 24.96125). Samples were analyzed with a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS; Shimadzu QP2020NX) coupled with a microfurnace pyrolizer (Py; Frontier Laboratories EGA-PY-3030D). The vertical distribution of the mass concentrations of four plastics (polyethene, polypropene, polystyrene and polyethene terephthalate) and tire rubbers (styrene butadiene and natural rubber) will be presented. In addition, the deviations between the parallel samplings during different events (snowing, raining and dry period as well as varying pollen contents) will be discussed. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559488/document
More Papers Like This
Wet and dry deposition of airborne microplastics in urban background site in Helsinki
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured wet and dry deposition of airborne microplastics and tire wear rubber at an urban background site in Helsinki, Finland, characterizing seasonal and source patterns of atmospheric plastic particle deposition. Both microplastics and tire wear particles were detected in deposition samples, with concentrations and particle types reflecting urban traffic and seasonal variation.
Spatial distribution of atmospheric microplastics in bulk deposition of urban and rural environments of Northern Germany
AI summary Read the abstract
Atmospheric microplastic deposition rates were measured across urban, sub-urban, and rural areas of northern Germany over an extended period, finding that deposition occurred everywhere but was highest in urban zones. Fibers were the most common type, with textile and tire sources implicated as major contributors. The study demonstrates that atmospheric deposition is a significant and geographically widespread pathway for microplastics entering ecosystems far from their source.
Mass concentrations of common microplastics and tire wear rubbers in urban air
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured mass concentrations of common microplastics and tire wear rubber particles in ambient urban air, providing quantitative data on airborne plastic pollution that is scarce compared to research on aquatic environments. Tire wear particles were identified as a significant component of airborne plastic contamination in urban settings.
The atmospheric microplastics deposition contributes to microplastic pollution in urban waters
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how atmospheric deposition contributes to microplastic pollution in urban waters. The study found that microplastic deposition fluxes were higher during wet weather than dry weather and showed moderate to strong correlations with atmospheric conditions, demonstrating that airborne microplastic fallout is a meaningful source of contamination in urban water environments.
Spatial distribution of atmospheric microplastics in bulk-deposition of urban and rural environments – A one-year follow-up study in northern Germany
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a year-long study of atmospheric microplastic deposition across urban and rural sites in northern Germany, finding spatial and temporal variation in microplastic fallout patterns that help quantify environmental input rates.
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.