Evidence of marine plastic particles transfer to the atmosphere through bubble bursting.

Plastic debris in the marine environment are the subject of an extensive literature. According to studies dedicated to the determination of plastic litter abundance, models were used to estimate the global plastic debris abundance and to simulate their transfer and distribution. Despite these efforts, there is still missing plastic in the models used as areas exist where plastic abundance is less than that estimated. In parallel, microplastics presence in the atmosphere and in remote areas was confirmed suggesting long range atmospheric transport. Potentially addressing both these issues, the aim of this study is to evaluate plastic particles transfer from the marine environment to the atmosphere via the bursting of air bubbles at the sea surface.