Micro- and nanoplastics transfer from the ocean to the atmosphere through aerosolization in the presence of bacteria
Lim, X.K. (2022). Micro- and nanoplastics transfer from the ocean to the atmosphere through aerosolization in the presence of bacteria. MSc Thesis. Ghent University: Gent. 65 pp.
Research on the effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) on ecosystems has been spurred by the growing concern over the pollution of MNPs in the environment. Recent studies suggested that sea spray aerosols (SSAs) can transfer MNPs from the ocean to the atmosphere. Our study conducted the aerosolization experiments using the miniature Marine Aerosol Reference Tank (miniMART), demonstrating that bubble bursting and jet drop ejection processes can aerosolize MNP particles with sizes ranging from 0.5 μm to 10 μm, with larger particles producing aerosol at a lower rate. According to the particle sizes, the enrichment factor varied, with larger values for the MNPs only treatment (ranging from 6 to 513) than for the MNPs with bacteria treatment (ranging from 1 to 314).The presence of organic matter, such as marine bacterial EPS and gel-like substances, is critical to the aerosolization process and affects MNP agglomeration and their ability to become airborne contaminants. Intriguingly, the results of the study differed from those of the influence of organic matter on plastic transfer since the presence of bacteria reduced the amount of aerosolized particles. Our study recommended looking into the antibiofilm properties of, various gel-like compounds, and various types and forms of polymers to gather more knowledge.
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