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      Synthetic fibers in atmospheric fallout: A source of microplastics in the environment?

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          Abstract

          Sources, pathways and reservoirs of microplastics, plastic particles smaller than 5mm, remain poorly documented in an urban context. While some studies pointed out wastewater treatment plants as a potential pathway of microplastics, none have focused on the atmospheric compartment. In this work, the atmospheric fallout of microplastics was investigated in two different urban and sub-urban sites. Microplastics were collected continuously with a stainless steel funnel. Samples were then filtered and observed with a stereomicroscope. Fibers accounted for almost all the microplastics collected. An atmospheric fallout between 2 and 355 particles/m(2)/day was highlighted. Registered fluxes were systematically higher at the urban than at the sub-urban site. Chemical characterization allowed to estimate at 29% the proportion of these fibers being all synthetic (made with petrochemicals), or a mixture of natural and synthetic material. Extrapolation using weight and volume estimates of the collected fibers, allowed a rough estimation showing that between 3 and 10 tons of fibers are deposited by atmospheric fallout at the scale of the Parisian agglomeration every year (2500 km(2)). These results could serve the scientific community working on the different sources of microplastic in both continental and marine environments.

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          Author and article information

          Journal
          Mar. Pollut. Bull.
          Marine pollution bulletin
          1879-3363
          0025-326X
          Mar 15 2016
          : 104
          : 1-2
          Affiliations
          [1 ] Université Paris-Est, LEESU (laboratoire eau environnement et systèmes urbains), 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Cedex Créteil, France. Electronic address: drisr@leesu.enpc.fr.
          [2 ] Université Paris-Est, LEESU (laboratoire eau environnement et systèmes urbains), 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Cedex Créteil, France. Electronic address: gasperi@u-pec.fr.
          [3 ] Université Paris-Est, LEESU (laboratoire eau environnement et systèmes urbains), 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Cedex Créteil, France.
          Article
          S0025-326X(16)30006-6
          10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.01.006
          26787549
          1d81b7e4-89d7-4ae5-8ab7-9156e184989d
          History

          Atmospheric fallout,Urban environment,Microplastic sources,Microplastics,Synthetic fibers

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