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Data for "Mapping European Microplastic Emissions: Regional Signatures, Pathway Effects, and the Mass–Number Discrepancy"
Original title: Data for "Mapping European Microplastic Emissions: Regional Signatures, Pathway Effects, and the Mass–Number Discrepancy"
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Researchers built a detailed map tracking where microplastic pollution comes from across European countries—including car tires, synthetic clothing fibers, paint, and plastic pellets—and how it travels through waterways and wastewater systems. A key finding: measuring pollution by weight versus by particle count tells very different stories, meaning the tiniest (and potentially most harmful) plastic fragments could be undercounted if we only track total mass. This matters because knowing exactly where microplastics originate and how they spread helps target cleanup efforts and regulations more effectively, especially since smaller particles are more likely to enter our bodies through water
This dataset supports the manuscript “Mapping European Microplastic Emissions: Regional Signatures, Pathway Effects, and the Mass–Number Discrepancy”. The dataset contains source-specific calculation workbooks and derived tables used to construct a harmonized EU-27 inventory of microplastic emissions from seven direct-release sources: tyre wear particles, textile microfibers, architectural paints, road markings, marine paints, scrubbing agents, and pre-production pellets. The files include compiled input data, parameter values, deterministic lower–central–upper scenario calculations, country-level outputs, mass and particle-number estimates, pathway allocation, wastewater-treatment and CSO sensitivity calculations, relative emission intensity calculations, and source-resolved summary results. The accompanying manuscript and Supplementary Information describe the model equations, source boundaries, data hierarchy, assumptions, parameter ranges, uncertainty treatment, mass-to-number conversion, and pathway-routing calculations. The dataset is intended to enable transparency and reproducibility of the EU-27 microplastic emission inventory and associated figures and tables.
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Data for "Mapping European Microplastic Emissions: Regional Signatures, Pathway Effects, and the Mass–Number Discrepancy"
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Researchers built a detailed map of where microplastic pollution comes from across European countries—tracking tires, laundry fibers, paint, and other everyday sources. A key insight: measuring pollution by weight versus by particle count can tell very different stories, which matters because tiny, extremely numerous particles may pose different health risks than fewer, heavier ones. This kind of data helps identify which pollution sources to target first, giving policymakers and consumers a clearer picture of where microplastics in our environment (and potentially our bodies) are actually coming from.
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