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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Water–air transfer rates of microplastic particles through bubble bursting as a function of particle size
ClearWettability of microplastic particles affects their water-to-air ejection via bubble bursting.
Researchers experimentally investigated how the wettability of microplastic particles influences their transfer from water to air via bubble bursting, using 1 micron diameter polystyrene particles with contrasting hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface modifications and finding that particle wettability significantly affects enrichment into aerosolized jet droplets.
Wettability of microplastic particles affects their water-to-air ejection via bubble bursting.
Researchers experimentally investigated how the wettability (hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity) of microplastic particles affects their enrichment into jet droplets ejected when bubbles burst at the ocean surface, providing new insight into the mechanisms by which microplastics are transferred across the air-sea interface and potentially aerosolized.
Effect of wettability on microplastic aerosolization via film and jet drops ejected from bursting bubbles
Researchers experimentally investigated how wettability of microplastic particles affects their aerosolization via film drops and jet drops ejected from bursting bubbles at the ocean surface. They found that particle wettability significantly controls the probability of microplastic inclusion in ejected droplets, with implications for understanding how microplastics transfer from the ocean surface into the atmosphere.
Experimental evidence of plastic particles transfer at the water-air interface through bubble bursting
Experimental evidence showed that bubble bursting at the sea surface can transfer plastic particles from bulk water to sea spray aerosols, providing a mechanism for microplastics to be transported from ocean surface waters into the atmosphere.
Bubble-mediated generation of airborne nanoplastic particles
Laboratory experiments examined nanoplastic particle emission into air through bubble bursting from low-salinity waters, testing 103, 147, and 269 nm polystyrene spheres. Results quantified the efficiency of water-to-air transfer of nanoplastics via bubble-bursting, suggesting this mechanism is a significant but poorly quantified source of airborne nanoplastics near water surfaces.
New insights into the role of marine plastic-gels in microplastic transfer from water to the atmosphere via bubble bursting
Researchers identified a three-step mechanism by which microplastics are transferred from ocean surface water to the atmosphere during bubble bursting, finding that marine gel particles play a critical role by concentrating MPs at the air-sea interface before aerosol ejection. The results help explain how MPs reach remote terrestrial environments through atmospheric deposition from the ocean.
Numerical simulations of bursting bubbles: effects of contamination on droplet ejection and micro- and nanoplastics transport
Scientists used computer simulations to study how tiny plastic particles get launched into the air when bubbles pop at water surfaces, like in oceans or wastewater treatment plants. They found that contaminants in the water change how bubbles burst and affect how many droplets containing microplastics are released into the air we breathe. This research helps us better understand how microplastics from polluted water can end up in the atmosphere and potentially impact human health through inhalation.
The rise and rupture of bubbles: applications to biofouling, microplastic pollution, and sea spray aerosols
Researchers studied how rising air bubbles in water collect microplastics and bacteria on their surfaces and transport them to the liquid surface, and how bubble bursting then launches these particles into the air as sea spray — with implications for both aquatic contamination and airborne microplastic exposure.
Examination of the ocean as a source for atmospheric microplastics
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.
Enrichment of Scavenged Particles in Jet Drops Determined by Bubble Size and Particle Position
Researchers demonstrated that when bubbles burst in contaminated water, particles larger than previously assumed can be transported into jet drops and become highly concentrated, with enrichment depending on bubble size and particle position on the bubble surface.
Nanoscale insight into the interaction mechanism underlying the transport of microplastics by bubbles in aqueous environment
Nanoscale experiments revealed that bubble capture of microplastics in water is governed by hydrophobic interactions and surface charge complementarity between bubbles and MP particles. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for modeling the role of bubbles in transporting MPs from water to air-water interfaces and across environmental compartments.
Is atmospheric pathway a significant contributor to microplastics in the marine environment?
Researchers reviewed evidence for atmospheric transport of microplastics to and from marine environments, finding that wind-driven processes like sand storms, bubble bursts, and sea spray can eject microplastics from ocean surfaces into aerosols, making the atmosphere a significant but understudied pathway in the marine microplastic cycle.
Modeling of vertical microplastic transport by rising bubbles
This study modeled the vertical transport of microplastic particles by rising bubbles in the ocean, finding that bubble-mediated transport significantly enhances surface concentration of microplastics and helps explain why surface measurements often show higher particle densities than bulk water predictions suggest.
Ejection of marine microplastics by raindrops: a computational and experimental study
This computational and experimental study showed that raindrops hitting the ocean surface can eject tiny water droplets carrying microplastic particles into the atmosphere. Rainfall is thus a mechanism for spreading microplastics from ocean surfaces into the air, contributing to global atmospheric plastic transport.
Emerging investigator series: suspended air nanobubbles in water can shuttle polystyrene nanoplastics to the air–water interface
Nanobubbles suspended in water can physically carry nanoplastic particles to the air-water interface and concentrate them there, but only when the repulsive electrical charge between the particles and bubbles is reduced by adjusting pH. This discovery points toward a potential low-energy method for removing nanoplastics from water, which is currently one of the hardest fractions of plastic pollution to filter out.
Micro- and nanoplastics transfer from seawater to the atmosphere through aerosolization under controlled laboratory conditions
Using a laboratory wave-action tank, researchers demonstrated that polystyrene beads of 0.5-10 microns are efficiently aerosolized from seawater into spray aerosols, with enrichment factors of up to 19-fold for 0.5 micron particles, confirming sea spray as a vector for micro- and nanoplastic atmospheric transport.
Quantification of the Emission of Atmospheric Microplastics and Nanoplastics via Sea Spray
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.
Degradation of nanoplastics in the environment: Reactivity and impact on atmospheric and surface waters
Researchers used polystyrene nanoparticles as a proxy to study nanoplastic degradation pathways in the environment, examining their reactivity and potential impact on both atmospheric chemistry and surface water quality. The study found that nanoplastics undergo transformation processes that may affect atmospheric aerosol composition and aquatic ecosystems.
Aerosolization of micro- and nanoplastics via sea spray: Investigating the role of polymer type, size, and concentration, and potential implications for human exposure
This study found that microplastics and nanoplastics in ocean water can become airborne through sea spray and be inhaled by people near coastlines. Smaller plastic particles were launched into the air more efficiently than larger ones, and the researchers estimated that people living near the coast could inhale thousands of plastic particles per year through this route. This reveals a previously underappreciated pathway for human exposure to microplastics beyond eating and drinking.
Effects of particulate properties on splash activity and particulate destination for particle-laden drop impacts on liquid pools
When raindrops hit the ocean surface, the resulting splash can carry microplastics and other particles both into and out of the water — affecting how contaminants are distributed between the ocean and the atmosphere. This laboratory study systematically tested how particle size, density, and concentration influence the splashing behavior of particle-laden droplets, finding that while these properties do not change the overall splash pattern, they do affect how particles are distributed after impact. Understanding these dynamics could help improve models of how microplastics and other pollutants cycle between ocean and atmosphere.
Ejection of marine microplastics by raindrops: a computational and experimental study
Researchers used computer simulations and lab experiments to show that raindrops hitting ocean surfaces eject tiny droplets carrying microplastics into the atmosphere at high speed. They estimated that a typical rainfall event can loft roughly 4,800 microplastic particles into the air per square kilometer per hour, revealing rain as an underappreciated pathway for moving ocean microplastics into the atmosphere.
Effects of Shape and Size on Microplastic Atmospheric Settling Velocity
Researchers measured atmospheric settling and horizontal drift velocities of various microplastic shapes and sizes in controlled settling chambers, providing empirical data needed to improve atmospheric transport models that explain how microplastics reach remote environments.
Constraining Microplastic Particle Emission Flux from the Ocean
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.
Atmospheric transport of microplastics from land to sea is inefficient: Evidence from multimedia observations
Researchers used multimedia observations from both land and sea to quantify the transport efficiency of atmospheric microplastics from land to ocean, finding that atmospheric transport is an inefficient pathway for delivering land-sourced microplastics to marine environments compared to other transport routes.