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Short-Term Observations of Airborne Microplastics in Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Concentrations, Aerodynamic Size Distribution, and Polymer Composition
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Scientists measured tiny plastic particles floating in the air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the first time, finding common plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene (used in bags, packaging, and bottles) in every air sample tested. Most of these particles were extremely small, under 30 micrometers, roughly half the width of a human hair, meaning they're small enough to potentially be inhaled deep into the lungs. While this study doesn't prove health harm, it establishes a baseline showing that airborne microplastic pollution is a real and measurable issue in Southeast Asian cities, coming from both local sources and
Airborne microplastics (AMPs) are increasingly recognized as an emerging air pollutant. However, observational data remain scarce in Southeast Asia. This study provides the first observations of AMPs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, using µFTIR-ATR imaging. Number concentration, morphology, polymer composition, aerodynamic size distribution, Feret diameter, and surface aging characteristics were investigated together with meteorological parameters, gaseous pollutants, water-soluble ionic tracers, and HYSPLIT backward trajectories to examine possible source attribution. AMPs were dominated by polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), with 52% classified as fragments and 82% having Feret diameter smaller than 30 µm. Across four independent 72-h sampling periods (n = 4), AMP concentrations ranged from 0.55 to 1.27 MP m−3 in TSP, with a mean ± standard deviation of 0.97 ± 0.30 MP m−3, and from 0.23 to 0.49 MP m−3 in the PM2.5 fraction, with a mean ± standard deviation of 0.33 ± 0.10 MP m−3. In total, 134 particles were identified in TSP, of which 46 were detected in the PM2.5 fraction. Carbonyl and hydroxyl indices indicated that PE and PP were relatively fresh and in low-to-moderate surface aging states. Pearson correlations suggested that the abundances of individual polymers were varied differently in relation to local environmental and precipitation-related variables; however, the limited number of sampling periods precludes source or process attribution. In addition, HYSPLIT backward trajectories showed that some air masses arriving in Phnom Penh had passed over marine regions under southwest monsoon flow. These findings provide the first baseline dataset for AMP pollution in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and highlight the combined importance of local emissions and regional atmospheric transport in Southeast Asia.
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