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Unraveling the Marine Microplastic Cycle: The First Simultaneous Data Set for Air, Sea Surface Microlayer, and Underlying Water

Environmental Science & Technology 2023 31 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Martin Hassellöv, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Isabel Goßmann, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Karin Mattsson, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Isabel Goßmann, Isabel Goßmann, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Andreas Held, Oliver Wurl, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Claudio Crazzolara, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Karin Mattsson, Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Claudio Crazzolara, Claudio Crazzolara, Claudio Crazzolara, Andreas Held, Martin Hassellöv, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Andreas Held, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Karin Mattsson, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Karin Mattsson, Martin Hassellöv, Oliver Wurl, Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Martin Hassellöv, Andreas Held, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Martin Hassellöv, Tiera‐Brandy Robinson, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Tiera‐Brandy Robinson, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Martin Hassellöv, Oliver Wurl, Oliver Wurl, Martin Hassellöv, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Karin Mattsson, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Martin Hassellöv, Andreas Held, Karin Mattsson, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Andreas Held, Andreas Held, Oliver Wurl, Oliver Wurl, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Oliver Wurl, Oliver Wurl, Oliver Wurl, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Martin Hassellöv, Martin Hassellöv, Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. Scholz‐Böttcher

Summary

Researchers simultaneously sampled air, the sea surface microlayer, and underlying water in Swedish fjords to map microplastic distribution across the marine-atmospheric boundary for the first time. They found tire wear particles predominantly in the surface microlayer, while poly(methyl methacrylate) clusters dominated deeper water. The study shows that microplastic levels were higher in urban and industrial fjord areas compared to rural ones, and that polymer distribution patterns are influenced by both particle characteristics and environmental conditions.

Polymers

PC PE PET PS rubber

Microplastics (MP) including tire wear particles (TWP) are ubiquitous. However, their mass loads, transport, and vertical behavior in water bodies and overlying air are never studied simultaneously before. Particularly, the sea surface microlayer (SML), a ubiquitous, predominantly organic, and gelatinous film (<1 mm), is interesting since it may favor MP enrichment. In this study, a remote-controlled research catamaran simultaneously sampled air, SML, and underlying water (ULW) in Swedish fjords of variable anthropogenic impacts (urban, industrial, and rural) to fill these knowledge gaps in the marine-atmospheric MP cycle. Polymer clusters and TWP were identified and quantified with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Air samples contained clusters of polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, and polystyrene (max 50 ng MP m<sup>-3</sup>). In water samples (max. 10.8 μg MP L<sup>-1</sup>), mainly TWP and clusters of poly(methyl methacrylate) and polyethylene terephthalate occurred. Here, TWP prevailed in the SML, while the poly(methyl methacrylate) cluster dominated the ULW. However, no general MP enrichment was observed in the SML. Elevated anthropogenic influences in urban and industrial compared to the rural fjord areas were reflected by enhanced MP levels in these areas. Vertical MP movement behavior and distribution were not only linked to polymer characteristics but also to polymer sources and environmental conditions.

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