论文标题：Atmospheric transport is a major pathway of microplastics to remote regions

期刊：Nature Communications

作者：N. Evangeliou, H. Grythe et.al

发表时间：2020/07/14

数字识别码：10.1038/s41467-020-17201-9

微信链接：点击此处阅读微信文章

《自然-通讯》发表的一篇论文Atmospheric transport is a major pathway of microplastics to remote regions就道路交通产生的塑料微粒污染在全世界范围内的大气传播进行了建模。研究发现这些塑料微粒被输运到了遥远的区域，包括北极。根据估算，通过空气输运而抵达海洋的塑料微粒总量与河流中堆积的总量相当。

伴随着塑料制品新品的生产速度持续走高，没有被收集和循环利用的塑料废品在不断增多。但是，塑料污染加剧所带来的生态和环境影响以及造成影响的机制路径却不甚明了。

挪威空气研究所的Nikolaos Evangeliou及同事将道路塑料微粒（由轮胎磨损和刹车磨损产生）的全球量化分析与大气输运通路建模结合起来，以确定这些污染物的传播轨迹。目前，道路塑料微粒排放占整体塑料微粒污染的30%，其中大部分来自人口密集区域，如美国东部、北欧和东南亚高度城市化的地区。作者发现较大的颗粒沉积在污染源附近。相反，直径在2.5微米或以下的塑料微粒被输运到了更远的地方。他们估计每年有52,000吨小型塑料微粒最后落到了海洋里。但是，约14%（每年20,000吨）落到了遥远的冰雪覆盖的表面。作者指出，对于北极之类的敏感区域，这一点值得担忧，因为暗沉颗粒会降低表面返照率，因而可能加速冰雪融化。

每年塑料微粒的排放。

credit: Evangeliou et al.

摘要：In recent years, marine, freshwater and terrestrial pollution with microplastics has been discussed extensively, whereas atmospheric microplastic transport has been largely overlooked. Here, we present global simulations of atmospheric transport of microplastic particles produced by road traffic (TWPs – tire wear particles and BWPs – brake wear particles), a major source that can be quantified relatively well. We find a high transport efficiencies of these particles to remote regions. About 34% of the emitted coarse TWPs and 30% of the emitted coarse BWPs (100 kt yr−1 and 40 kt yr−1 respectively) were deposited in the World Ocean. These amounts are of similar magnitude as the total estimated direct and riverine transport of TWPs and fibres to the ocean (64 kt yr−1). We suggest that the Arctic may be a particularly sensitive receptor region, where the light-absorbing properties of TWPs and BWPs may also cause accelerated warming and melting of the cryosphere.

（来源：科学网）