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Unraveling the Unseen Players in the Ocean - A Field Guide to Water Chemistry and Marine Microbiology
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Unraveling the Marine Microplastic Cycle: The First Simultaneous Data Set for Air, Sea Surface Microlayer, and
Isabel Goßmann1,2, Karin Mattsson3, Martin Hassellöv3
1Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, P.O. Box 2503, Oldenburg 26111, Germany.
Environmental Science & Technology
|October 19, 2023
Summary
Microplastics (MPs), including tire wear particles (TWPs), were simultaneously measured in air, sea surface microlayer (SML), and underlying water. Anthropogenic impacts influenced MP levels, with TWPs dominating the SML.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Marine Biology
- Atmospheric Chemistry
Background:
- Microplastics (MPs) and tire wear particles (TWPs) are pervasive environmental contaminants.
- The simultaneous mass loads, transport, and vertical distribution of MPs in air and aquatic environments, particularly the sea surface microlayer (SML), remain understudied.
- The SML, a thin organic film, is hypothesized to be a potential accumulation zone for MPs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To simultaneously investigate the mass loads and vertical distribution of MPs, including TWPs, in the air-sea interface.
- To explore the role of the SML in the marine-atmospheric MP cycle.
- To assess the influence of anthropogenic impacts on MP distribution in different fjord environments.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous sampling of air, SML, and underlying water (ULW) using a remote-controlled research catamaran.
- Quantification and identification of polymer types and TWPs via pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS).
- Comparison of MP levels across urban, industrial, and rural fjord areas.
Main Results:
- MPs, including polymer clusters (polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polystyrene) and TWPs, were detected in air, SML, and ULW.
- TWPs were found to be prevalent in the SML, while poly(methyl methacrylate) clusters dominated the ULW.
- No general enrichment of MPs was observed in the SML, contrary to initial hypotheses.
- Higher MP concentrations were correlated with increased anthropogenic activity in urban and industrial fjords compared to rural ones.
- Vertical MP distribution was influenced by polymer characteristics, sources, and environmental conditions.
Conclusions:
- The study provides novel insights into the simultaneous occurrence and vertical distribution of MPs in the marine-atmospheric continuum.
- Anthropogenic sources significantly impact MP concentrations in coastal environments.
- The SML does not appear to be a universal enrichment zone for all types of MPs; TWPs showed a preference for this layer.
- Polymer characteristics, sources, and environmental factors collectively govern the vertical transport and fate of MPs.
Keywords:
air/water interfacemass-based quantificationmicroplasticspyrolysis-GC/MSsea surface microlayertire wear particlesMore Related Videos
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