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Coastal Microplastic Concentrations Increase After Hurricanes Helene and Milton (2024)

ChemRxiv 2026
Jessica Ritchie, Shenandoah Sedio, Chamteut Oh, Elise Morrison, Maitane Olabarrieta, Sungyoon Jung

Summary

Scientists found that hurricanes Helene and Milton stirred up and increased the amount of microplastics (tiny plastic bits smaller than a grain of rice) in Florida's coastal waters. This matters because these plastics can end up in seafood and drinking water sources, and as storms grow more frequent and intense, coastal communities may face rising exposure to this pollution after major weather events.

17 Microplastics (MPs) are small and transportable plastic pollutants ranging from 1 μm to 5 mm in 18 size. Recent studies have revealed elevated MP concentrations under severe weather conditions 19 such as tropical cyclones. However, despite the near-annual occurrence of tropical 20 cyclones/hurricanes in Florida, USA, the abundance and characteristics of MPs in Florida’s marine 21 environments under such conditions remain poorly understood. This study investigated the 22

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