Quantification and Characterization of Fine Plastic Particles as Considerable Components in Atmospheric Fine Particles

Yunqian Chen; Siyuan Jing; Yanting Wang; Zhe Song; Lifang Xie; Xiaona Shang; Hongbo Fu; Xiaodong Yang; Huimin Wang; Minghuo Wu; Yinjuan Chen; Qing Li; Yan Zhang; Wei Wang; Liwu Zhang; Rong Wang; Mingliang Fang; Yuzhong Zhang; Weijun Li; Defeng Zhao; Chunlin Li; Yinon Rudich; Lin Wang; Renhe Zhang; Weiping Liu; Thomas C. Wanger; Shaocai Yu; Jianmin Chen

doi:10.1021/acs.est.3c06832

Quantification and Characterization of Fine Plastic Particles as Considerable Components in Atmospheric Fine Particles

Yunqian Chen, Siyuan Jing, Yanting Wang, Zhe Song, Lifang Xie, Xiaona Shang, Hongbo Fu, Xiaodong Yang, Huimin Wang, Minghuo Wu, Yinjuan Chen, Qing Li, Yan Zhang, Wei Wang, Liwu Zhang, Rong Wang, Mingliang Fang, Yuzhong Zhang, Weijun Li, Defeng ZhaoChunlin Li, Yinon Rudich, Lin Wang, Renhe Zhang, Weiping Liu, Thomas C. Wanger, Shaocai Yu, Jianmin Chen

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Weizmann Institute of Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The negative effects of air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM_2.5, particles with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm), on human health, climate, and ecosystems are causing significant concern. Nevertheless, little is known about the contributions of emerging pollutants such as plastic particles to PM_2.5 due to the lack of continuous measurements and characterization methods for atmospheric plastic particles. Here, we investigated the levels of fine plastic particles (FPPs) in PM_2.5 collected in urban Shanghai at a 2 h resolution by using a novel versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system that concentrates ambient aerosols up to 10-fold. The FPPs were analyzed offline using the combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques that distinguished FPPs from other carbon-containing particles. The average FPP concentrations of 5.6 μg/m³ were observed, and the ratio of FPPs to PM_2.5 was 13.2% in this study. The FPP sources were closely related to anthropogenic activities, which pose a potential threat to ecosystems and human health. Given the dramatic increase in plastic production over the past 70 years, this study calls for better quantification and control of FPP pollution in the atmosphere.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4691-4703
Number of pages	13
Journal	Environmental Science and Technology
Volume	58
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c06832
State	Published - 12 Mar 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
Environmental Chemistry

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10.1021/acs.est.3c06832

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Chen, Y., Jing, S., Wang, Y., Song, Z., Xie, L., Shang, X., Fu, H., Yang, X., Wang, H., Wu, M., Chen, Y., Li, Q., Zhang, Y., Wang, W., Zhang, L., Wang, R., Fang, M., Zhang, Y., Li, W., ... Chen, J. (2024). Quantification and Characterization of Fine Plastic Particles as Considerable Components in Atmospheric Fine Particles. Environmental Science and Technology, 58(10), 4691-4703. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c06832

@article{885d969b8d4946b59b775118375729f4,

title = "Quantification and Characterization of Fine Plastic Particles as Considerable Components in Atmospheric Fine Particles",

abstract = "The negative effects of air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5, particles with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm), on human health, climate, and ecosystems are causing significant concern. Nevertheless, little is known about the contributions of emerging pollutants such as plastic particles to PM2.5 due to the lack of continuous measurements and characterization methods for atmospheric plastic particles. Here, we investigated the levels of fine plastic particles (FPPs) in PM2.5 collected in urban Shanghai at a 2 h resolution by using a novel versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system that concentrates ambient aerosols up to 10-fold. The FPPs were analyzed offline using the combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques that distinguished FPPs from other carbon-containing particles. The average FPP concentrations of 5.6 μg/m3 were observed, and the ratio of FPPs to PM2.5 was 13.2\% in this study. The FPP sources were closely related to anthropogenic activities, which pose a potential threat to ecosystems and human health. Given the dramatic increase in plastic production over the past 70 years, this study calls for better quantification and control of FPP pollution in the atmosphere.",

author = "Yunqian Chen and Siyuan Jing and Yanting Wang and Zhe Song and Lifang Xie and Xiaona Shang and Hongbo Fu and Xiaodong Yang and Huimin Wang and Minghuo Wu and Yinjuan Chen and Qing Li and Yan Zhang and Wei Wang and Liwu Zhang and Rong Wang and Mingliang Fang and Yuzhong Zhang and Weijun Li and Defeng Zhao and Chunlin Li and Yinon Rudich and Lin Wang and Renhe Zhang and Weiping Liu and Wanger, \{Thomas C.\} and Shaocai Yu and Jianmin Chen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 American Chemical Society.",

year = "2024",

month = mar,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1021/acs.est.3c06832",

language = "الإنجليزيّة",

volume = "58",

pages = "4691--4703",

journal = "Environmental Science and Technology",

issn = "0013-936X",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "10",

}

Chen, Y, Jing, S, Wang, Y, Song, Z, Xie, L, Shang, X, Fu, H, Yang, X, Wang, H, Wu, M, Chen, Y, Li, Q, Zhang, Y, Wang, W, Zhang, L, Wang, R, Fang, M, Zhang, Y, Li, W, Zhao, D, Li, C, Rudich, Y, Wang, L, Zhang, R, Liu, W, Wanger, TC, Yu, S & Chen, J 2024, 'Quantification and Characterization of Fine Plastic Particles as Considerable Components in Atmospheric Fine Particles', Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 58, no. 10, pp. 4691-4703. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c06832

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantification and Characterization of Fine Plastic Particles as Considerable Components in Atmospheric Fine Particles

AU - Chen, Yunqian

AU - Jing, Siyuan

AU - Wang, Yanting

AU - Song, Zhe

AU - Xie, Lifang

AU - Shang, Xiaona

AU - Fu, Hongbo

AU - Yang, Xiaodong

AU - Wang, Huimin

AU - Wu, Minghuo

AU - Chen, Yinjuan

AU - Li, Qing

AU - Zhang, Yan

AU - Wang, Wei

AU - Zhang, Liwu

AU - Wang, Rong

AU - Fang, Mingliang

AU - Zhang, Yuzhong

AU - Li, Weijun

AU - Zhao, Defeng

AU - Li, Chunlin

AU - Rudich, Yinon

AU - Wang, Lin

AU - Zhang, Renhe

AU - Liu, Weiping

AU - Wanger, Thomas C.

AU - Yu, Shaocai

AU - Chen, Jianmin

PY - 2024/3/12

Y1 - 2024/3/12

N2 - The negative effects of air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5, particles with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm), on human health, climate, and ecosystems are causing significant concern. Nevertheless, little is known about the contributions of emerging pollutants such as plastic particles to PM2.5 due to the lack of continuous measurements and characterization methods for atmospheric plastic particles. Here, we investigated the levels of fine plastic particles (FPPs) in PM2.5 collected in urban Shanghai at a 2 h resolution by using a novel versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system that concentrates ambient aerosols up to 10-fold. The FPPs were analyzed offline using the combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques that distinguished FPPs from other carbon-containing particles. The average FPP concentrations of 5.6 μg/m3 were observed, and the ratio of FPPs to PM2.5 was 13.2% in this study. The FPP sources were closely related to anthropogenic activities, which pose a potential threat to ecosystems and human health. Given the dramatic increase in plastic production over the past 70 years, this study calls for better quantification and control of FPP pollution in the atmosphere.

AB - The negative effects of air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM2.5, particles with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm), on human health, climate, and ecosystems are causing significant concern. Nevertheless, little is known about the contributions of emerging pollutants such as plastic particles to PM2.5 due to the lack of continuous measurements and characterization methods for atmospheric plastic particles. Here, we investigated the levels of fine plastic particles (FPPs) in PM2.5 collected in urban Shanghai at a 2 h resolution by using a novel versatile aerosol concentration enrichment system that concentrates ambient aerosols up to 10-fold. The FPPs were analyzed offline using the combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques that distinguished FPPs from other carbon-containing particles. The average FPP concentrations of 5.6 μg/m3 were observed, and the ratio of FPPs to PM2.5 was 13.2% in this study. The FPP sources were closely related to anthropogenic activities, which pose a potential threat to ecosystems and human health. Given the dramatic increase in plastic production over the past 70 years, this study calls for better quantification and control of FPP pollution in the atmosphere.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85187258034&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.3c06832

DO - 10.1021/acs.est.3c06832

M3 - مقالة

C2 - 38323401

SN - 0013-936X

VL - 58

SP - 4691

EP - 4703

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

IS - 10

ER -

Quantification and Characterization of Fine Plastic Particles as Considerable Components in Atmospheric Fine Particles

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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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