Transport of Microplastic and Dispersed Oil Co-contaminants in the Marine Environment.

ABSTRACT: Microplastics (MPs) and oil pollution are major concerns in oceans. Although their coexistence in oceans and the associated MP-oil-dispersant agglomerates (MODAs) have been reported, limited attention is given to the behavior of the co-contaminants. This study investigated MODA transport in a simulated ocean system and explored related mechanisms under various oil types, salinities, and mineral concentrations. We found that more than 90% of the heavy oil-formed MODAs stayed at the seawater surface, while the light oil-formed MODAs were widely distributed throughout the seawater column. The increased salinity promoted MODAs formed by 7 and 90 μm MPs to transport from the seawater surface to the column. This was elucidated by the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory as more MODAs formed u

SUBMITTER: Yang M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11990826 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature