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Electric forces can enhance the emission of microplastics into air
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Researchers discovered that strong electric fields, like those generated during dust storms, can lift microplastic particles off surfaces and launch them into the air. Through calculations and lab experiments, they showed that the electrical threshold needed to lift microplastics depends on the plastic type, shape, and humidity levels. The findings reveal a previously overlooked mechanism by which microplastics can become airborne and spread through the atmosphere.
Microplastics (MPs) are problematic pollutants in various environmental contexts. Dust storms, blowing dusts, and dust devils can detach significant amounts of surface MPs into the atmosphere and migrate them far from their original sources via atmospheric transport. Studies have shown that strong electrostatic fields that exceed 150 kV/m can be observed during dust storm events. In this study, we perform theoretical calculations and laboratory experiments that demonstrate that MPs can be directly lifted under a strong electric field, and the threshold electric field (Ee) required for the lifting of MPs is closely related to the material composition and morphology of the MPs themselves and the air humidity. The electric forces generated by these electric fields can decrease the threshold friction velocity required to initiate the lifting of MPs. Specifically, electric fields exceeding 200 kV/m can directly lift surface particles, while fields above 120 kV/m significantly reduce the threshold friction velocity required for wind-driven particle movement by 10 %. These effects are most pronounced for particles with diameters ranging from 80 to 250 μm. We concluded that electric forces enhance MPs lifting, playing a key role in their motion at the particle scale and atmospheric transport at the regional scale. The enhanced loading of MPs into the atmosphere increases their transport distance, This long-range transport not only exacerbates global microplastic pollution but also leads to the deposition of MPs in remote ecosystems, such as polar regions, oceans, and mountainous areas, affecting local biodiversity. Meanwhile, humans may face potential health risks by inhaling or ingesting air, water, and food contaminated with MPs, such as inflammatory responses or the accumulation of harmful chemicals. Additionally, the distribution of MPs in the atmosphere may impact the climate system, for example, by altering cloud condensation nuclei formation, which in turn affects precipitation patterns and Earth's radiation balance.
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Atmospheric Resuspension of Microplastics from Bare Soil Regions
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Researchers developed a method to estimate how microplastics get lifted from bare soil into the atmosphere along with mineral dust, then modeled their global transport and deposition. They found that this soil-based resuspension is a meaningful source of atmospheric microplastics, with fiber-shaped particles traveling significantly farther than spherical ones. The study suggests that dust storms and wind erosion from agricultural and arid lands may be an underappreciated pathway for spreading microplastic contamination worldwide.
Is plastic dust different from mineral dust? Results from idealized wind tunnel experiments.
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Researchers conducted wind tunnel experiments to compare how plastic particles of different sizes detach from flat surfaces in wind compared to mineral dust particles. Plastic particles required higher wind speeds to become airborne than mineral dust of similar size, likely due to shape differences. These findings inform atmospheric transport models for predicting how far and how much microplastic can be carried by wind across the landscape.
Microplastic Emission from Soil-Air Interface
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Researchers conducted laboratory experiments to understand how microplastics transfer from soil into the air as dust particles. They found that particle size, shape, and soil moisture levels are the primary factors determining whether microplastics become airborne, with fibers as long as 5,000 micrometers capable of becoming enriched in dust. The study suggests that soil is an important but underappreciated source of airborne microplastic pollution, which has implications for human inhalation exposure.
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