By now microplastic (MP) pollution is shown to be omnipresent. Meanwhile, the database for many environmental compartments is gradually becoming solid, except for remote areas such as the oceans. The very few studies here are exclusively particle-based. Mass-based ones do not exist so far. The presented study is part of the JPI-Oceans FACTS dealing with occurrence and transport of MP up to northern waters. During a research cruise in 2021 seven transects along the Norwegian coast up to Bear Island were actively sampled on the observation deck during steaming. The performance of two different sampling devices was evaluated. MP analysis and mass quantification was conducted using a by now established Py-GC/MS method referring to polymer clusters related to base polymer building blocks. With careful reference to available field and laboratory blank values, MP was detected even in remote Artic areas with concentrations up to 37.5 ng MP m^-3 air and a clear predominance of the PET cluster. In addition, car tire tread, and clusters of PS, PP, and PUR were detected more often. Using "backtracking" models (HYSPLIT and FLEXPART) an attempt was made to reconstruct the origin of the air masses and to gain information about the origin of the measured MP from it. In this context, the re-emission of MP from the ocean into the overlying air layers appears to be a relevant source. Likewise, the long-range transport of PET particles appears to be substantial. The range of polymers detected, but also the risk of contamination, was closely linked to the particular sampling method used.

Primary Presenter: Barbara Scholz-Bottcher, University of Oldenburg (bsb@icbm.de)

Authors:

Isabel Goßmann, University of Oldenburg, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)  (isabel.gossmann@uni-oldenburg.de)

Dorte Herzke, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)  (dorte.herzke@nilu.no)

Andreas Held, Technical University of Berlin, Chair of Environmental Chemistry and Air Research,   (held@tu-berlin.de)

Janina Schulz, University of Oldenburg, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)  (Janina.schulz@uni-oldenburg.de)

Vladimir Nikiforov, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)  (van@nilu.no)

Christoph Georgi, Technical University of Berlin, Chair of Environmental Chemistry and Air Research  (georgi@tu-berlin.de)

Nikolaos Evangeliou, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)  (ne@nilu.no)

Sabine Echhardt, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)  (sec@nilu.no)

Gunnar Gerdts, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research  (gunnar.gerdts@awi.de)

Oliver Wurl, University of Oldenburg, Center for MArine Sensors, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)  (oliver.wurl@uni-oldenburg.de)

Barbara Scholz-Böttcher, University of Oldenburg, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM)  (bsb@icbm.de)