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Multi-week atmospheric accumulation and antecedent wet deposition associated with microplastic deposition in winter snowfall: A large-scale survey in northern China.
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Scientists tested snow across northern China and found tiny plastic particles in every sample, an average of 124 pieces per liter of melted snow, including some potentially harmful plastics like PVC and polyurethane. The findings show these microplastics build up in the air over weeks before getting washed out by snow, meaning air pollution, weather patterns, and even nearby farming or city activity can all affect how much plastic ends up falling from the sky, plastic we may then breathe in or that enters our water supply.
Atmospheric microplastics (MPs) are an emerging component of particulate air pollution, yet their deposition dynamics during snowfall remain insufficiently constrained. Here, we conducted a large-scale winter survey in northern China in early 2025, using laser direct infrared (LDIR) imaging to quantify the abundance, composition, and potential environmental drivers of snowfall MPs within the detectable size range of 20-500 μm. Results showed that the mean abundance of MPs in snowmelt was 124 particles L⁻¹. Polypropylene (PP) and polyamide (PA) were the dominant polymers, while polymers with relatively high hazard potential, such as polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), were also present. MP abundance correlated positively with 24-h PM and NO, but negatively with wind speed and cumulative wet deposition over multi-week timescales, with the strongest associations observed for the 14-21-day windows. Backward trajectories further suggested that inland continental airflows may contribute to atmospheric MP accumulation, whereas northern high-latitude air masses may partially dilute regional MP burdens. Additionally, polymer-specific associations suggested potential influences from urbanization and agricultural mulch. Overall, this geographically broad survey provides preliminary and exploratory evidence that snowfall capture of atmospheric MPs is associated with atmospheric transport, multi-week atmospheric MP accumulation and antecedent wet deposition.
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