Unraveling the Marine Microplastic Cycle: The First Simultaneous Data Set for Air, Sea Surface Microlayer, and Underlying Water

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05002
• Publication Date: 2023-10-19T03:47:51Z
• Authors: Isabel Goßmann; Karin Mattsson; Martin Hassellöv; Claudio Crazzolara; Andreas Held; Tiera-Brandy Robi...; Oliver Wurl; Barbara M. Scholz...
• Keywords: Fjord; Polystyrene; Polycarbonate

Microplastics (MP) including tire wear particles (TWP) are ubiquitous. However, their mass loads, transport, and vertical behavior in water bodies overlying air never studied simultaneously before. Particularly, the sea surface microlayer (SML), a ubiquitous, predominantly organic, gelatinous film (<1 mm), is interesting since it may favor MP enrichment. In this study, remote-controlled research catamaran sampled air, SML, underlying (ULW) Swedish fjords of variable anthropogenic impacts (urban, industrial, rural) to fill these knowledge gaps marine-atmospheric cycle. Polymer clusters TWP were identified quantified with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Air samples contained polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polystyrene (max 50 ng m-3). (max. 10.8 μg L-1), mainly poly(methyl methacrylate) terephthalate occurred. Here, prevailed while cluster dominated ULW. no general enrichment was observed SML. Elevated influences urban industrial compared rural fjord areas reflected by enhanced levels areas. Vertical movement distribution not only linked polymer characteristics but also sources environmental conditions.