We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
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.
Abstract Plastic pollution of the marine realm is globally ubiquitous and a substantial body of research has concentrated on microplastics (1 µm – 5 mm). Ocean nanoplastics (<1 µm), in contrast, are understudied and the mass budget of this domain thus remains unknown. Here we measured nanoplastic concentrations on an ocean basin scale along a transect crossing the North Atlantic from the subtropical gyre to the northern European shelf using Thermal Desorption – Proton Transfer Reaction – Mass Spectrometry. Substantial amounts of polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanoplastic (~2-25 ng ml-1) were observed throughout the entire water column (measured in the well-mixed surface layer, at 1 kilometer depth and in bottom waters). We found higher nanoplastic concentrations in the well-mixed surface layer closer to the European continent, while bottom waters contained the lowest nanoplastic concentrations (primarily comprising PET). A conservative extrapolation of our findings shows that the total (PS+PVC+PET) nanoplastic mass in the well-mixed surface layer of the North Atlantic Ocean alone amounts to 33-50 million tonnes (Mt). This is in the same range or exceeds previous macro/microplastic budgets estimates for the entire Atlantic1 or global Ocean2,3,4. Our findings suggest that nanoplastics are the most important part of ocean plastic pollution.
More Papers Like This
Nanoplastic concentrations across the North Atlantic
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
Nanoplastic in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers detected and characterized nanoplastics in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, providing some of the first direct evidence that nanoplastic-sized particles are present in open ocean surface waters far from coastlines.
Nanoplastics make up most of the plastic pollutants in the North Atlantic Ocean
AI summary Read the abstract
A landmark field study documented pervasive nanoplastic pollution throughout the North Atlantic Ocean, revealing that these invisible particles make up a large fraction of all plastic debris in open ocean waters. The findings raise urgent questions about what nanoscale plastics are doing to marine ecosystems and the seafood that humans ultimately consume.
Atmospheric contribution of nanoplastics to North Atlantic Ocean
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics are being carried through the air from land areas and falling into the North Atlantic Ocean. These microscopic plastic pieces come from common materials like water bottles, food packaging, and shopping bags, and they're now contaminating even remote ocean areas far from where the plastic waste originally came from. This matters because nanoplastics can enter the food chain through sea life and potentially affect human health when we eat seafood or drink water.
Abundance, size and polymer composition of marine microplastics ≥ 10 μm in the Atlantic Ocean and their modelled vertical distribution
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured the abundance, size distribution, and polymer composition of microplastics 10 micrometers and larger in the Atlantic Ocean, finding widespread contamination and providing data that helps fill gaps in understanding smaller particle fractions.
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.