Microplastics are now widely recognized as contaminants of both the ocean and the atmosphere, but the processes linking these two environments are still not fully understood. This seminar will present results from field studies conducted in the Baltic Sea and the northern Indian Ocean, focusing on the occurrence, properties, and transport of airborne and marine microplastics.

The talk will show how microplastic concentrations, composition, and size distributions vary across contrasting marine environments and meteorological conditions. Results from the Baltic Sea indicate a clear connection between the atmosphere and the sea surface, with evidence for both atmospheric transport and marine emission of microplastics. Additional observations collected during major winter storms in 2022 demonstrate the important role of hydrodynamic forcing in the vertical redistribution of marine microplastics. In contrast, measurements from the Maldives suggest weaker air–sea coupling during the observation period, with airborne microplastics linked more strongly to regional polluted air-mass transport than to local marine emissions.

Together, these results highlight that microplastic exchange at the air–sea interface depends strongly on meteorological conditions, regional pollution sources, and marine surface processes. The seminar will emphasize the value of combining microplastic observations with atmospheric aerosol measurements to better understand their environmental transport and fate.

Dołącz do spotkania Zoom

https://uw-edu-pl.zoom.us/j/98094350069?pwd=e1S1TewP8sEqlLBsJgXNQ8YEqIW6Ye.1

Identyfikator spotkania: 980 9435 0069

Kod dostępu: 237677