Micro(nano)plastics in the atmosphere of the Atlantic Ocean

Elisa Caracci; Albert Vega-Herrera; Jordi Dachs; Naiara Berrojalbiz; Giorgio Buonanno; Esteban Abad; Marta Llorca; Teresa Moreno; Marinella Farré

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131036

Micro(nano)plastics in the atmosphere of the Atlantic Ocean

J Hazard Mater. 2023 May 15:450:131036. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131036. Epub 2023 Feb 18.

Authors

Elisa Caracci¹, Albert Vega-Herrera², Jordi Dachs², Naiara Berrojalbiz², Giorgio Buonanno³, Esteban Abad², Marta Llorca², Teresa Moreno⁴, Marinella Farré⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, FR, Cassino, Italy.
² Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), C. Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
³ Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, FR, Cassino, Italy; International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
⁴ Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), C. Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: teresa.moreno@idaea.csic.es.
⁵ Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), C. Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: mfuqam@cid.csic.es.

PMID: 36857820
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131036

Abstract

The occurrence, long-range atmospheric transport and deposition of micro and nano plastics (MNPLs) remains un-quantified for the oceanic atmosphereopen ocean. Here we show the characterisation of MNPLs and the aerosol composition (PM₁₀) in a north-south Atlantic transect from Vigo (Spain) to Punta Arenas (Chile). The analytical procedure to assess the composition of MNPLs consisted of a double suspect screening approach of the polymers and additives, the two constituents of plastics. Polymers were analysed by size exclusion chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry using an atmospheric pressure photoionization source operated in positive and negative conditions (HPLC(SEC)-APPI(+/-)-HRMS). Plastic additives were screened with high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry using an electrospray ionisation source (HPLC-ESI(+/-)-HRMS). The most common polymers were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyisoprene (PI), and polystyrene (PS), with the highest polymer concentration being 51.7 ng·m^-3 of PI. The air mass back trajectories showed the variable influence of oceanic and terrestrial air masses. These differences were reflected in the aerosol composition with different contributions of Saharan dust, sea spray aerosol, organic/elemental carbon, and MNPLs. Results showed that samples largely influenced by sea-spray and air masses originating from coastal South America and the north Atlantic subtropical gyre were more contaminated by MNPLs. Moreover, this information was complemented by the characterisation of the largest particles using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and µ-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (µ-FTIR). This work provides the first field evidence of the long-range transport of MNPLs in most of the Atlantic Ocean, as the result of dynamic coupling between the lower atmosphere and the surface ocean. Sea-spray formation arises as a key driver for the aerosolisation of MNPLs, and atmospheric transport followed by dry deposition may modulate the occurrence of MNPLs in large oceanic regions, issues that will require future research efforts.

Keywords: Atlantic Ocean; Microplastics; Nanoplastics; PM(10); Suspect screening.