Long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere
Abstract Airborne microplastics (MPs) can undergo long range transport to remote regions. Yet there is a large knowledge gap regarding the occurrence and burden of MPs in the marine boundary layer, which hampers comprehensive modelling of their global atmospheric transport. In particular, the transp...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:1c87832b59714dc590d58f8f38ef9baa 2024-01-07T09:38:59+01:00 Long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere Qiqing Chen Guitao Shi Laura E. Revell Jun Zhang Chencheng Zuo Danhe Wang Eric C. Le Ru Guangmei Wu Denise M. Mitrano 2023-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43695-0 https://doaj.org/article/1c87832b59714dc590d58f8f38ef9baa EN eng Nature Portfolio https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43695-0 https://doaj.org/toc/2041-1723 doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43695-0 2041-1723 https://doaj.org/article/1c87832b59714dc590d58f8f38ef9baa Nature Communications, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2023) Science Q article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43695-0 2023-12-10T01:47:45Z Abstract Airborne microplastics (MPs) can undergo long range transport to remote regions. Yet there is a large knowledge gap regarding the occurrence and burden of MPs in the marine boundary layer, which hampers comprehensive modelling of their global atmospheric transport. In particular, the transport efficiency of MPs with different sizes and morphologies remains uncertain. Here we show a hemispheric-scale analysis of airborne MPs along a cruise path from the mid-Northern Hemisphere to Antarctica. We present the inaugural measurements of MPs concentrations over the Southern Ocean and interior Antarctica and find that MPs fibers are transported more efficiently than MPs fragments along the transect, with the transport dynamics of MPs generally similar to those of non-plastic particles. Morphology is found to be the dominant factor influencing the hemispheric transport of MPs to remote Antarctic regions. This study underlines the importance of long-range atmospheric transport in MPs cycling dynamics in the environment. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Antarctic Southern Ocean Nature Communications 14 1 |
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English |
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Science Q Qiqing Chen Guitao Shi Laura E. Revell Jun Zhang Chencheng Zuo Danhe Wang Eric C. Le Ru Guangmei Wu Denise M. Mitrano Long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere |
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Science Q |
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Abstract Airborne microplastics (MPs) can undergo long range transport to remote regions. Yet there is a large knowledge gap regarding the occurrence and burden of MPs in the marine boundary layer, which hampers comprehensive modelling of their global atmospheric transport. In particular, the transport efficiency of MPs with different sizes and morphologies remains uncertain. Here we show a hemispheric-scale analysis of airborne MPs along a cruise path from the mid-Northern Hemisphere to Antarctica. We present the inaugural measurements of MPs concentrations over the Southern Ocean and interior Antarctica and find that MPs fibers are transported more efficiently than MPs fragments along the transect, with the transport dynamics of MPs generally similar to those of non-plastic particles. Morphology is found to be the dominant factor influencing the hemispheric transport of MPs to remote Antarctic regions. This study underlines the importance of long-range atmospheric transport in MPs cycling dynamics in the environment. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Qiqing Chen Guitao Shi Laura E. Revell Jun Zhang Chencheng Zuo Danhe Wang Eric C. Le Ru Guangmei Wu Denise M. Mitrano |
author_facet |
Qiqing Chen Guitao Shi Laura E. Revell Jun Zhang Chencheng Zuo Danhe Wang Eric C. Le Ru Guangmei Wu Denise M. Mitrano |
author_sort |
Qiqing Chen |
title |
Long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere |
title_short |
Long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere |
title_full |
Long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere |
title_fullStr |
Long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere |
title_full_unstemmed |
Long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere |
title_sort |
long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics across the southern hemisphere |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43695-0 https://doaj.org/article/1c87832b59714dc590d58f8f38ef9baa |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean |
op_source |
Nature Communications, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43695-0 https://doaj.org/toc/2041-1723 doi:10.1038/s41467-023-43695-0 2041-1723 https://doaj.org/article/1c87832b59714dc590d58f8f38ef9baa |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43695-0 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1787427591939948544 |