We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic and oil pollution in oceans: Interactions and environmental impacts
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examined how microplastics and oil interact when they co-occur in the ocean, finding that they combine to form microplastic-oil agglomerates that reduce oil dispersion efficacy, alter biodegradation rates, and cause greater harm to plankton and higher trophic species than either contaminant alone. The agglomerates also slow vertical carbon transport, with potential implications for ocean carbon cycling.
Microplastics (MPs) have been found in oil-polluted oceans, but studies on MPs and oil were still focused on their respective transport, biodegradation, and bioaccumulation. The interactions between MPs and oil in the marine environment remain unknown. MPs would incorporate with oil to form MP-oil agglomerate (MOA), the behaviors of MOA were thus discussed in this study. It was found that the MOA formation resulted in the decreased oil dispersion efficacy and affect marine oil spill response operations. Moreover, oil biodegradation rate would be changed when oil existed as the form of MOA. The slow vertical transport of MOA might lead to wider ocean contamination. MOA would cause much worse impacts on phytoplankton, zooplankton, and high trophic species in the marine environment than MPs or oil individually. MOA assembling with phytoplankton in oceans may reduce carbon dioxide (CO) transport to deep seas. Exploring the interactions between MPs and oil in the marine environment opened a door for understanding MPs and oil as co-contaminants.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic-oil-dispersant agglomerates in the marine environment: Formation mechanism and impact on oil dispersion
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how microplastics form agglomerates with spilled oil and dispersants in marine environments, identifying two distinct agglomerate types and showing that these formations can significantly affect oil dispersion effectiveness during spill responses.
Interactions between microplastics and oil dispersion in the marine environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated interactions between microplastics and crude oil in marine environments, finding that microplastics adsorb oil components and can reduce the effectiveness of chemical dispersants used in oil spill response by competing for surfactant molecules and altering oil droplet behavior.
Transport of Microplastic and Dispersed Oil Co-contaminants in the Marine Environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the transport behavior of microplastic-oil-dispersant agglomerates in simulated ocean systems, finding that over 90% of heavy oil agglomerates stayed at the surface while light oil agglomerates sank, influenced by salinity and mineral concentrations.
Interactions between microplastics and phytoplankton aggregates
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how microplastics interact with phytoplankton aggregates in the ocean, potentially affecting the sinking behavior of marine organic matter. The interactions between plastics and biological particles may influence the biological carbon pump and the vertical transport of pollutants into the deep ocean.
Impact of mixing energy and dispersant dosage on oil dispersion and sedimentation with microplastics in the marine environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Laboratory experiments simulated how crude oil spilled at sea behaves differently when microplastics are present, testing the effects of wave energy and chemical dispersant on oil dispersion and sedimentation. Higher wave energy and dispersant doses both increased oil dispersion, but microplastics caused oil droplets to aggregate into heavier particles that sank faster, meaning more oil-microplastic agglomerates reached the seafloor than would otherwise. This interaction could complicate oil spill response and extend ecological damage to deep-sea environments.
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.