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Physical-chemical properties of non-soluble particles in a hailstone collected in Argentina
Summary
Researchers analyzed a hailstone from Argentina and found it contained a wide variety of particles including carbonaceous material, silicates, and salts — suggesting that land use activities like agriculture influence what nucleates hail. While the study did not specifically identify microplastics, it demonstrates that atmospheric particles from human activity can be incorporated into precipitation, a pathway relevant to understanding how pollutants like microplastics travel through the atmosphere.
This study presents a novel analysis of a hailstone collected near Cordoba, Argentina, quantifying the composition, size distribution, and potential sources of non-soluble particles contained within. The hailstone contained diverse particles, with sizes ranging from 1.9 to 150.3 µm, primarily carbonaceous, including in the center, suggesting a possible biological and geological influence on hail formation. Silicate particles were distributed throughout the hailstone, likely from eroded soil and agricultural activities. Finally, salts were detected in the outer layers of the hailstone and may have originated from the nearby salt lake. This study highlights the regional influence of various land use types on hail formation and growth and points to the potential impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors on hailstone composition.
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