TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical characteristics of microplastic particles and potential for global atmospheric transport
T2 - A meta-analysis
AU - Fox, Sydney
AU - Stefánsson, Hlynur
AU - Peternell, Mark
AU - Zlotskiy, Edward
AU - Ásbjörnsson, Einar Jón
AU - Sturkell, Erik
AU - Wanner, Philipp
AU - Konrad-Schmolke, Matthias
N1 - Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024/2/1
Y1 - 2024/2/1
N2 - Recent interest in microplastic pollution of natural environments has brought forth samples which confirm the pollutant's omnipresence in a variety of ecosystems. This includes locations furthest removed from human activity. Atmospheric transport and deposition are suspected as the primary transport pathway to these remote locations. The factors most influential on participation in atmospheric transport are yet to be determined. This meta-analysis aims to identify patterns that exist between physical characteristics of microplastic particles and their potential for atmospheric transport. Our review addresses the following questions: Which characteristics of microplastic particles promote atmospheric transport and deposition into remote regions, and how significant are these factors in determining distance transported from their sources? This article analyzes commonly reported physical attributes– shape, polymer composition and color– from studies in urban and remote areas. The analysis of 68 studies, composed of data from 2078 samples, shows higher occurrence of microplastic particles in remote samples with fiber shapes, polyester compositions, and red, blue, and transparent colors. This meta-analysis is the first to identify patterns between physical properties of microplastic particles and extent of their participation in atmospheric transport to global remote locations.
AB - Recent interest in microplastic pollution of natural environments has brought forth samples which confirm the pollutant's omnipresence in a variety of ecosystems. This includes locations furthest removed from human activity. Atmospheric transport and deposition are suspected as the primary transport pathway to these remote locations. The factors most influential on participation in atmospheric transport are yet to be determined. This meta-analysis aims to identify patterns that exist between physical characteristics of microplastic particles and their potential for atmospheric transport. Our review addresses the following questions: Which characteristics of microplastic particles promote atmospheric transport and deposition into remote regions, and how significant are these factors in determining distance transported from their sources? This article analyzes commonly reported physical attributes– shape, polymer composition and color– from studies in urban and remote areas. The analysis of 68 studies, composed of data from 2078 samples, shows higher occurrence of microplastic particles in remote samples with fiber shapes, polyester compositions, and red, blue, and transparent colors. This meta-analysis is the first to identify patterns between physical properties of microplastic particles and extent of their participation in atmospheric transport to global remote locations.
KW - Atmospheric transport
KW - Microplastic morphology
KW - Microplastics
KW - Polymer composition
KW - Remote
KW - Urban
KW - Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis
KW - Environmental Monitoring
KW - Microplastics/analysis
KW - Humans
KW - Ecosystem
KW - Plastics/analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85178454868&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122938
DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122938
M3 - Article
C2 - 37981185
AN - SCOPUS:85178454868
SN - 0269-7491
VL - 342
JO - Environmental Pollution
JF - Environmental Pollution
M1 - 122938
ER -