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Is atmospheric pathway a significant contributor to microplastics in the marine environment?
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Researchers reviewed evidence for atmospheric transport of microplastics to and from marine environments, finding that wind-driven processes like sand storms, bubble bursts, and sea spray can eject microplastics from ocean surfaces into aerosols, making the atmosphere a significant but understudied pathway in the marine microplastic cycle.
Transmission of microplastics (MPs) through aerosolization has been recently realized as an important route. Inspite of the reports of the ubiquitous MP presence in aerosols, the spatio-temporal information is inadequate and has very limited practicality in assessing if aerosol can be a significant source of MPs to the marine environment. Data on marine contribution to atmospheric MPs is exceptionally scarce, and the ocean-air exchange is considered an emerging research area. Evidence of MPs entering the oceans via atmospheric deposition has been recently produced. The idea of ocean-air exchange emanates from the fact that beach sediments can get suspended under sand and dust storms, bubble bursts and sea sprays due to wind and waves in surf zones can lead to the ejection of particles into aerosols. In this succinct review, we have tried compiling the data on atmospheric MPs that can shed some light on the flux from and to the aquatic environment. While the information is too limited never the less its incorporation into the marine MP cycle cannot be neglected.
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Researchers assessed whether the ocean can be a net source of atmospheric microplastics (rather than just a sink), finding evidence that bubble bursting and sea spray can eject plastic particles from ocean surface waters into the atmosphere.
Microplastics: All Up in the Air?
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This review examines evidence for airborne microplastics, finding that plastic particles are transported through the atmosphere via wind and deposited in remote environments far from sources. Researchers discuss the implications for atmospheric monitoring, human inhalation exposure, and the global microplastic cycle.
Atmospheric Microplastics: Inputs and Outputs
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Researchers examined how microplastics enter and move through the atmosphere, finding that up to 8.6 megatons per year may be suspended in air above the oceans alone. The particles are launched into the air from ocean spray and land-based sources, then distributed by wind before returning to Earth through rain and dry deposition. The study highlights that atmospheric transport is a major pathway for spreading microplastic contamination to even the most remote regions of the planet.
Atmospheric transport of microplastics from land to sea is inefficient: Evidence from multimedia observations
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Researchers used multimedia observations from both land and sea to quantify the transport efficiency of atmospheric microplastics from land to ocean, finding that atmospheric transport is an inefficient pathway for delivering land-sourced microplastics to marine environments compared to other transport routes.
A systematic experimental investigation of micro- and nanoplastics aerosolization by oceanic breaking waves
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A systematic experimental study investigated how and to what extent microplastics and nanoplastics are ejected from the ocean surface into the atmosphere through sea spray and bubble bursting. The results showed that a range of particle sizes and types can be aerosolized, but the efficiency varies depending on particle properties and sea conditions. These findings help quantify a potentially significant pathway for microplastics to re-enter terrestrial environments after initially reaching the ocean.
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.