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Occurrence, characteristics, and factors influencing the atmospheric microplastics around Jiaozhou Bay, the Yellow Sea
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Atmospheric microplastics collected around Jiaozhou Bay in China were deposited at rates of up to 80 items per square meter per day, with seasonal variation driven by monsoons — higher deposition in dry seasons — and fragments and polyethylene being the dominant forms. The estimated annual input of microplastics into this bay via atmospheric deposition alone is over 7.6 tons, highlighting that air-to-sea transfer is a substantial and seasonally dynamic pathway for marine microplastic contamination.
Atmospheric microplastics are attracting increasing attention as an emerging pollutant. However, research on its characteristics and influencing factors is insufficient. This study examines the characteristics and spatiotemporal distribution of atmospheric microplastics around Jiaozhou Bay, the Yellow Sea. The results showed that the dominant shapes of microplastic were fragments (61.9 %) and fibers (25.6 %), and the main types were polyethylene terephthalate (23.8 %), polyethylene (31.6 %) and cellulose (rayon, 34.9 %). The deposition rate of microplastic varied from 8.395 to 80.114 items·m·d, with a mean of 46.708 ± 21.316 items·m·d. The deposition rate was higher in the dry season than in the rainy season, indicating the influence of weather condition. The annual mass of atmospheric microplastics entering the bay was estimated to be 7.612 ± 3.474 tons. For the first time, this study reveals that atmospheric microplastics in Jiaozhou Bay change spatiotemporally due to monsoons, which pose a potential threat to marine ecosystems.
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