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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Quantification of the Emission of Atmospheric Microplastics and Nanoplastics via Sea Spray
ClearExamination 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.
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.
Ocean emission of microplastic
Researchers built a model showing that ocean waves and bursting bubbles can launch microplastics from seawater into the air, estimating that roughly 0.1 million metric tons of microplastic may be emitted from the ocean surface each year. These airborne microplastics can then be carried by wind over land, where they may be inhaled by people. The study reveals an important and previously underappreciated pathway by which ocean microplastic pollution becomes an air quality and human health concern.
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 microplastic emissions from land and ocean
Researchers quantified atmospheric microplastic emissions from both land and ocean surfaces, finding that re-suspension of deposited plastics from land and sea spray from the ocean are significant sources of airborne particles. The results highlight that the ocean is not just a sink but also a source of airborne microplastics.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A Perspective on the Controversy over Global Emission Fluxes of Microplastics from Ocean into the Atmosphere
Researchers addressed a major scientific debate about how many microplastics are transferred from the ocean surface into the atmosphere, where previous estimates varied by a factor of 10,000. By applying established theory on how particles cross the sea-air interface, they calculated that the upper limit for sub-100 micrometer microplastics entering the atmosphere from the ocean is 0.01 megatons per year. The study helps narrow a significant knowledge gap in understanding how microplastics cycle through the global environment.
Atmospheric microplastic emissions from land and ocean
Researchers compiled global data on airborne microplastics and found that fewer particles enter the atmosphere than previously estimated, with land-based sources producing far more particles by number than ocean sources. Concentrations over land were 27 times higher than over the ocean. This study helps clarify how much microplastic people breathe in and shows that urban and land-based environments are the primary sources of airborne microplastic exposure.
Understanding the sources of atmospheric microplastics
Scientists studied where tiny plastic particles in the air come from by analyzing data from cities, suburbs, and remote areas around the world. They found that no single source explains all the microplastics we breathe—instead, different locations have different main sources, like ocean spray in some areas and urban pollution in others. This research is important because understanding where airborne microplastics come from will help scientists better predict human exposure and potential health risks from breathing these particles.
Global microplastic emission and deposition fluxes at the ocean-atmosphere interface
This study used bottom-up modeling to estimate how microplastics move between the ocean surface and the atmosphere at a global scale. The findings suggest ocean surfaces are both a source and sink for airborne microplastics, helping explain how plastics cycle through Earth's major environmental systems.
Global atmospheric distribution of microplastics with evidence of low oceanic emissions
This study used atmospheric modeling to estimate the global distribution of airborne microplastics, finding that land-based sources like roads, agriculture, and cities contribute far more to atmospheric microplastics than ocean emissions. The model, validated against real-world observations, suggests that ocean contributions are about 10,000 times lower than previously estimated. Understanding where airborne microplastics come from is important because inhalation is a major route of human exposure.
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.
Reconciling modeled and observed atmospheric microplastics: a physically consistent framework reduces global emission estimates by a factor of 2
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles floating in our air may be much less common than previously thought - their new research suggests global emissions are about half of earlier estimates. This is important because these microscopic plastics can travel through the atmosphere and potentially end up in our lungs when we breathe. The study also found that most airborne microplastics come from land sources rather than the ocean, which could help guide efforts to reduce plastic pollution.
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.
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.
Dynamics of microplastics across the air–sea interface: enrichment in the sea-surface microlayer, foam, and links to regional biogeochemistry
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles are heavily concentrated in the thin layer at the ocean's surface and in sea foam - up to 100 times more than in deeper water below. These microplastics are constantly moving between the air and sea, with the smallest pieces traveling fastest and potentially spreading pollution over long distances. This matters because these surface waters and sea foam are where marine life feeds and where people swim, meaning we're likely exposed to much higher levels of plastic pollution than previously thought.
High debit sampling of airborne micro and nanoplastics in remote sea
Researchers developed a high-volume air sampler to detect micro- and nanoplastics in remote marine environments far from populated coastlines. The study confirms that plastic particles are transported through the atmosphere to even isolated ocean regions, demonstrating that no environment is free from airborne plastic pollution.
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.
Nanoplastic–lipid interactions at marine relevant interfaces: implications for atmospheric chemistry
This study examined what happens when nanoplastics become incorporated into sea spray aerosols — the tiny droplets that burst into the air when waves break — finding that nanoplastics alter the structure and composition of the lipid films that coat these airborne droplets. Since these lipid layers influence how aerosols behave chemically in the atmosphere, nanoplastics could be subtly changing atmospheric chemistry and cloud formation in ocean regions. This is a relatively unexplored pathway by which plastic pollution may have broader environmental consequences beyond the ocean surface.
Exploring the Transport Path of Oceanic Microplastics in the Atmosphere
Researchers used computer modeling to estimate how microplastics are launched from the ocean surface into the atmosphere and transported around the globe. They identified tropical ocean regions as major emission hotspots and found that tiny plastic particles can travel efficiently through the atmosphere and even reach the stratosphere, where they may linger for months. The study suggests that current estimates of ocean surface microplastic concentrations may be one to two orders of magnitude too low.