Atmospheric microplastic deposition in an urban environment and an evaluation of transport
- Microplastics are a global environmental issue contaminating aquatic and terrestrial environments. They have been reported in atmospheric deposition, and indoor and outdoor air, raising concern for public health due to the potential for exposure. Moreover, the atmosphere presents a new vehicle for microplastics to enter the wider environment, yet our knowledge of the quantities, characteristics and pathways of airborne microplastics is sparse. Here we show microplastics in atmospheric deposition in a major population centre, central London. Microplastics were found in all samples, with deposition rates ranging from 575 to 1008 microplastics/m(2)/d. They were found in various shapes, of which fibrous microplastics accounted for the great majority (92%). Across all samples, 15 different petrochemical-based polymers were identified. Bivariate polar plots indicated dependency on wind, with different source areas for fibrous and non-fibrous airborne microplastics. This is the first evidence of airborne microplastics in London and confirmsMicroplastics are a global environmental issue contaminating aquatic and terrestrial environments. They have been reported in atmospheric deposition, and indoor and outdoor air, raising concern for public health due to the potential for exposure. Moreover, the atmosphere presents a new vehicle for microplastics to enter the wider environment, yet our knowledge of the quantities, characteristics and pathways of airborne microplastics is sparse. Here we show microplastics in atmospheric deposition in a major population centre, central London. Microplastics were found in all samples, with deposition rates ranging from 575 to 1008 microplastics/m(2)/d. They were found in various shapes, of which fibrous microplastics accounted for the great majority (92%). Across all samples, 15 different petrochemical-based polymers were identified. Bivariate polar plots indicated dependency on wind, with different source areas for fibrous and non-fibrous airborne microplastics. This is the first evidence of airborne microplastics in London and confirms the need to include airborne pathways when consolidating microplastic impacts on the wider environment and human health.…
| Author details: | Stephanie L. WrightORCiD, Jannis UlkeORCiD, Anna FontORCiD, Ka Lung Andrew ChanORCiD, Frank J. KellyORCiD |
|---|---|
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105411 |
| ISSN: | 0160-4120 |
| ISSN: | 1873-6750 |
| Pubmed ID: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31889555 |
| Title of parent work (English): | Environment international |
| Publisher: | Elsevier, Pergamon Press |
| Place of publishing: | New York, NY [u.a.] |
| Publication type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Date of first publication: | 2020/03/01 |
| Publication year: | 2020 |
| Release date: | 2023/10/09 |
| Tag: | air pollution; atmospheric deposition; microplastics; urban |
| Volume: | 136 |
| Article number: | 105411 |
| Number of pages: | 7 |
| Funding institution: | Leonardo Office Brandenburg (Erasmus+programme); BAfoG (Federal Law on; Support for Education and Training) student loans and grants programme,; Hannover, Germany; Medical Research Council, UK (MRC)UK Research &; Innovation (UKRI) Medical Research Council UK (MRC) [MR/R026521/1]; MRCUK; Research & Innovation (UKRI) Medical Research Council UK (MRC); [MR/S020810/1, MR/S020810/2, MR/R026521/1, MR/M501669/1] Funding Source:; UKRI; NERCUK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Natural Environment Research; Council (NERC) [NE/S006729/1, NE/S006729/2, NE/N007018/1] Funding; Source: UKRI |
| Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Ernährungswissenschaft |
| DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 50 Naturwissenschaften / 500 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik |
| Peer review: | Referiert |
| Publishing method: | Open Access / Gold Open-Access |
| DOAJ gelistet | |
| License (German): |  CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |
