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Constraining Microplastic Particle Emission Flux from the Ocean
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Researchers quantified the transfer of microplastics from seawater to sea spray aerosols in laboratory experiments, finding enrichment factors up to 24,000-fold depending on particle size. Their bottom-up emission estimate suggests the oceans emit 24 quintillion microplastic pieces per year but are unlikely to be a significant source of atmospheric microplastics relative to land-based sources.
Sea spray aerosols (SSA) are believed to be a significant source of atmospheric microplastic particles (MP). However, only a few receptor calculations, with considerable uncertainties, have quantified the oceanic contribution to atmospheric MP. Here we conducted laboratory studies of the transfer of MP via SSA and found that MP were highly enriched in SSA relative to seawater, with experimentally determined enrichment factors reaching ∼24 000 depending on the size of MP. These results were utilized to obtain bottom-up emission estimates of oceanic MP. For MP with diameters of 0.3–70 μm, the annual global flux was estimated to be 24 (∼1–47) quintillion pieces or 773 (∼30–1515) tons. For MP with diameters of <10 μm that are capable of long-range atmospheric transport, it was 23 (∼1–45) quintillion pieces or 39 (∼2–76) tons. Our study strongly suggests that the oceans are unlikely to be a significant source of atmospheric MP relative to other anthropogenic sources of MP.
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Researchers conducted controlled laboratory experiments to study how microplastics are transferred from ocean water to the atmosphere through the formation of sea spray aerosols. Understanding this aerosolization pathway is important for quantifying how much microplastic reaches the atmosphere from ocean surfaces and ultimately falls on land or other ocean areas far from original sources.
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Researchers conducted lab experiments to measure how microplastics and nanoplastics in the ocean get launched into the atmosphere through sea spray bubbles. They found that plastic particles smaller than 10 micrometers can become airborne this way, with smaller and less dense particles being emitted more easily. This reveals an important but underappreciated pathway by which ocean plastic pollution can reach inland areas and be inhaled by people.
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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.
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.