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Foliar retention of atmospheric microplastics: Influence of leaf surface properties and rainfall intensity
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Researchers found that leaf surface properties and rainfall intensity significantly influence how much atmospheric microplastics are retained on plant foliage, with leaves near a landfill retaining up to 0.80 items/cm2 and autumn showing the highest seasonal accumulation across five common urban tree species.
Plant leaves are considered as temporary sinks for atmospheric microplastics (MPs), but factors influencing MPs retention on leaves remain poorly understood. This study examines leaf surface properties and rainfall on the foliar MPs retention. We collected field samples, conducted indoor MPs deposition experiments and rainfall simulation experiments using five common urban tree species. Our results show that leaf samples from a nearby landfill retained more MPs (0.09-0.80 items/cm²) than those from a university campus (0.03-0.55 items/cm²), with seasonal accumulation following the trend: autumn > summer > spring. MPs deposition experiments with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles revealed a positive correlation between MPs retention and leaf surface area, and a negative correlation with water contact angle, emphasizing the role of intrinsic leaf properties. Rainfall simulations indicated that higher rainfall intensity and duration significantly reduced MPs retention. These findings suggest that tree species with larger surfaces, smaller water contact angles, and greater hydrophilicity exhibit higher MPs retention and more stable wash-off rates during rainfall, making them potential biomonitors of atmospheric MPs pollution.
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Terrestrial plants as a potential temporary sink of atmospheric microplastics during transport
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Plant leaves in two urban regions were found to trap atmospheric microplastics, with plastics making up 28% of the particles adhered to leaf surfaces. Extrapolated globally, leaves in the top 11 greenest countries could hold an estimated 130 billion microplastic pieces, making plants a temporary but significant atmospheric sink for microplastic pollution.
Urban trees as natural interceptors for aerial microplastics: Mechanisms, influencing factors, and selection of tree types for mitigation
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This meta-analysis found that urban trees intercept aerial microplastics through surface adhesion and chemical bonding, with fiber-shaped polypropylene particles under 1 mm most commonly captured on leaves. Indigenous evergreen species emerged as the most effective tree type for microplastic mitigation, and rainfall facilitates continuous interception cycles by washing particles from leaf surfaces.
Microplastic retention in urban tree canopies of Hamburg, Germany
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Researchers measured microplastic retention on urban tree leaves in Hamburg, Germany, sampling lime and oak trees near roads with different traffic levels in summer and autumn. Urban trees capture airborne microplastics on their leaf surfaces, acting as temporary depositional sinks and potentially transferring plastic particles to soil when leaves fall.
Distribution and Occurrence of Microplastics in Foliar Deposition Across Tree Species in Lahore
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Researchers surveyed microplastic deposition on leaves of 15 urban tree species across 44 sites in Lahore, Pakistan, finding that hairy leaf surfaces captured the most particles (up to 9.23 particles/cm²) and that microplastic concentrations declined with canopy height, with PET fibers comprising 61% of all detected polymers.
Accumulation of Airborne Microplastics on Forest Canopy Leaves: Insights from Trichomes and Epicuticular Waxes
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This study collected airborne microplastics from forest canopy leaves (konara oak) near Tokyo, using a three-step washing and extraction protocol to recover particles from leaf surfaces. The results confirm that even forest vegetation in semi-urban areas accumulates airborne microplastics, indicating widespread atmospheric deposition of plastic particles.
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