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dc.contributor.authorKyriakoudes, G
dc.contributor.authorTurner, A
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-24T09:30:22Z
dc.date.available2023-11-24T09:30:22Z
dc.date.issued2023-12
dc.identifier.issn0045-6535
dc.identifier.issn1879-1298
dc.identifier.other140258
dc.identifier.urihttps://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/21694
dc.description.abstract

Atmospheric microplastics (MPs) have been sampled from coastal southwest England during twelve periods over a 42-day timeframe in late autumn. MPs were dominated by fibres, with foams, fragments and pellets also observed. The majority of fibres were identified as the semisynthetic polymer, rayon, while other shapes were dominated by various petroleum-based thermoplastics (including polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyamide and polyester) and paints. MP concentrations suspended in air ranged from 0.016 to 0.238 items per m3 but displayed no clear dependence on wind speed or direction. Total depositional fluxes ranged from 0.47 to 3.30 m−2 h−1 and showed no clear dependence on wind conditions or electrical conductivity of precipitation (as a measure of maritime influence). However, the concentration of deposited MPs in rainwater was inversely related to rainfall volume, suggesting that incipient precipitation acts to efficiently washout microplastics. A comparison of deposited and suspended MPs by size, shape and polymer type suggests that larger fibres constructed of rayon, polyamide and acrylic are preferentially removed from the atmosphere relative to smaller, non-fibrous MPs and particles constructed of polyester. A quantitative comparison of deposited and suspended MPs provided estimates of location- and environment-specific net settling velocities of between about 7 and 180 m h−1 and corresponding residence times for an air column of 5000 m of between about 30 and 700 h. The findings of the study contribute to an improved understanding of the occurrence, transport and deposition of MPs in the atmosphere more generally.

dc.format.extent140258-140258
dc.format.mediumPrint-Electronic
dc.languageen
dc.publisherElsevier BV
dc.subjectAirborne
dc.subjectMicrofibres
dc.subjectPaints
dc.subjectRayon
dc.subjectScavenging
dc.subjectSettling
dc.subjectMicroplastics
dc.subjectNylons
dc.subjectPlastics
dc.subjectAtmosphere
dc.subjectEngland
dc.subjectPolyesters
dc.subjectPolymers
dc.subjectEnvironmental Monitoring
dc.subjectWater Pollutants, Chemical
dc.titleSuspended and deposited microplastics in the coastal atmosphere of southwest England
dc.typejournal-article
dc.typeJournal Article
plymouth.author-urlhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37751808
plymouth.volume343
plymouth.publisher-urlhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140258
plymouth.publication-statusPublished
plymouth.journalChemosphere
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140258
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|Research Groups
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|Faculty of Science and Engineering
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|Faculty of Science and Engineering|School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|Research Groups|Marine Institute
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|REF 2021 Researchers by UoA
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|Users by role
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|Users by role|Academics
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|Research Groups|BEACh
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|REF 2021 Researchers by UoA|UoA07 Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|REF 2028 Researchers by UoA
plymouth.organisational-group|Plymouth|REF 2028 Researchers by UoA|UoA07 Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences
dc.publisher.placeEngland
dcterms.dateAccepted2023-09-22
dc.date.updated2023-11-24T09:30:21Z
dc.rights.embargodate2023-11-25
dc.identifier.eissn1879-1298
rioxxterms.versionofrecord10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140258


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