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Occurrence and backtracking of microplastic mass loads including tire wear particles in northern Atlantic air
Summary
Scientists measured airborne microplastic concentrations, including tire wear particles, in the atmosphere over the Norwegian coast and Arctic waters using specialized air sampling devices. They detected microplastics even in remote Arctic locations, with tire wear particles being the most abundant type found. Atmospheric transport modeling suggested these particles enter the marine atmosphere from both land and sea sources, indicating that airborne transport is a significant pathway for microplastic pollution reaching remote ocean regions.
Few studies report the occurrence of microplastics (MP), including tire wear particles (TWP) in the marine atmosphere, and little data is available regarding their size or sources. Here we present active air sampling devices (low- and high-volume samplers) for the evaluation of composition and MP mass loads in the marine atmosphere. Air was sampled during a research cruise along the Norwegian coast up to Bear Island. Samples were analyzed with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, generating a mass-based data set for MP in the marine atmosphere. Here we show the ubiquity of MP, even in remote Arctic areas with concentrations up to 37.5 ng m. Cluster of polyethylene terephthalate (max. 1.5 ng m) were universally present. TWP (max. 35 ng m) and cluster of polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyurethane (max. 1.1 ng m) were also detected. Atmospheric transport and dispersion models, suggested the introduction of MP into the marine atmosphere equally from sea- and land-based emissions, transforming the ocean from a sink into a source for MP.