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High nanoplastic concentrations across the North Atlantic - data code
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This is a research data/code repository associated with a North Atlantic nanoplastics study — not a standalone paper — though the linked study found nanoplastics (PET, PS, PVC) at concentrations of roughly 1.5–32 mg per cubic meter throughout the entire water column, with the total mass in the mixed layer potentially exceeding all previous estimates of macro- and microplastic in the global ocean.
Plastic pollution of the marine realm is widespread, with most scientific attention given to macro and microplastics. Ocean nanoplastics (1 μm), in contrast, remain largely unquantified, leaving gaps in our understanding of the mass budget of this plastic size class. Here we measure nanoplastic concentrations on an ocean basin scale along a transect crossing the North Atlantic from the subtropical gyre to the northern European shelf. Our findings reveal substantial amounts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanoplastics (~ 1.5 - 32 mg m-3) throughout the entire water column. On average, we observed 1.4-fold higher concentrations of nanoplastics in the mixed layer when compared to intermediate water depth, with highest mixed layer nanoplastic concentrations near the European continent. Nanoplastic concentrations at intermediate water depth were 1.8-fold higher in the subtropical gyre compared to the open North Atlantic outside the gyre. The lowest nanoplastic concentrations (~5.5 mg m-3 on average), predominantly composed of PET, were found in bottom waters. For the mixed layer of the temperate to subtropical North Atlantic, we estimate that the mass of nanoplastic amounts to 27 million tonnes (Mt); This is in the same range or exceeds previous budget estimates of macro/microplastic for the entire Atlantic or the global ocean. Our findings suggest that nanoplastics comprise the dominant fraction of marine plastic pollution.
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High nanoplastic concentrations across the North Atlantic
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured nanoplastic concentrations across the North Atlantic and found high concentrations — up to 13 micrograms per liter — in surface waters, suggesting nanoplastics are far more prevalent in the ocean than previously estimated. These tiny plastic particles, less than one micrometer in size, can penetrate biological barriers and may pose greater health risks than larger microplastics.
Nanoplastic concentrations across the North Atlantic
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Scientists measured nanoplastics (plastic particles smaller than a micrometer) across the entire North Atlantic Ocean for the first time. They found these tiny particles throughout the water column, with estimated amounts in the surface layer alone potentially reaching 27 million tonnes. This mass rivals or exceeds previous estimates for all larger plastics in the entire Atlantic, showing that nanoplastic pollution is far more extensive than previously thought.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.