Article, 2024

Bubble-mediated generation of airborne nanoplastic particles

Environmental Science Processes & Impacts, ISSN 2050-7887, 1464-0325, 2050-7895, 1464-0333, 10.1039/d4em00124a

Contributors

Kjærgaard, Eva Rosendal 0000-0001-8838-0084 [1] Hasager, Freja 0000-0002-1256-1468 [1] Petters, Sarah Suda 0000-0002-4501-7127 [1] Glasius, Marianne 0000-0002-4404-6989 [1] Bilde, Merete 0000-0002-2112-514X [1]

Affiliations

  1. [1] Aarhus University
    2. [NORA names: AU Aarhus University; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD]

Abstract

Micro- and nanoplastic particles have been detected in most environmental compartments. The presence of microplastics in the remote marine atmosphere and close to large lakes suggests bubble mediated water-air transfer as a source of airborne microplastics, however, quantitative estimates of plastic emission from surface waters remain uncertain. In this work, we elucidate the emission of submicron polystyrene nanospheres by bubble bursting in a laboratory setting from low salinity waters (salinity 0-1.0 g kg-1), polystyrene particle diameter (103, 147 and 269 nm), aqueous particle number concentrations in the range 4 × 107-2 × 109 cm-3, and bubble formation rate (0.88-3.35 L min-1 of air). Production of polystyrene aerosols was demonstrated using a scanning mobility particle sizer and confirmed by analysis of filter samples using pyrolysis gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. We show that production of polystyrene aerosol particles scales linearly with the number concentration of plastic particles in the water. Our results suggest that small amounts (0.01 g kg-1) of salt increase polystyrene particle production. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study of bubble mediated water-air transfer of plastic particles as small as 100 nm.

Keywords

aerosol, airborne microplastics, amount, analysis, analysis of filter samples, atmosphere, bubble, bubble bursting, bubble formation rate, burst, chromatography, compartment, concentration, concentration of plastic particles, diameter, emission, environmental compartments, filter samples, formation rate, gas chromatography, knowledge, laboratory, laboratory setting, lake, low salinity water, marine atmosphere, mass spectrometry, micro-, microplastics, mobility particle sizer, nanoplastic particles, nanospheres, number concentration, particle diameter, particle number concentration, particle production, particle scale, particle sizer, particles, plastic emissions, plastic particles, polystyrene, polystyrene aerosols, polystyrene nanospheres, presence, presence of microplastics, production, pyrolysis, pyrolysis gas chromatography, quantitative estimates, rate, remote marine atmosphere, saline water, salt, samples, scale, scanning, scanning mobility particle sizer, sets, sizer, source, source of airborne microplastics, spectrometry, study, study of bubbles, surface, surface water, transfer, water

Funders

  • Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education
  • Danish National Research Foundation

Data Provider: Digital Science

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