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Human Health Effects
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Atmospheric microplastics at a southern China metropolis: Occurrence, deposition flux, exposure risk and washout effect of rainfall
The Science of The Total Environment2023
95 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 65
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Zhen Yuan,
Zhen Yuan,
Zhen Yuan,
Zhen Yuan,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Lang Lin,
Ran Liao,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Hengxiang Li
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Shan Liu,
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Ran Liao,
Lang Lin,
Ran Liao,
Ran Liao,
Shan Liu,
Lang Lin,
Chenglei Pei,
Chenglei Pei,
Lang Lin,
Chenglei Pei,
Lang Lin,
Chenglei Pei,
Zhen Yuan,
Chenglei Pei,
Chenglei Pei,
Zhen Yuan,
Rui Hou,
Rui Hou,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Shan Liu,
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Ran Liao,
Ran Liao,
Ran Liao,
Ran Liao,
Ran Liao,
Lang Lin,
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Lang Lin,
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Lang Lin,
Ran Liao,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Ran Liao,
Ran Liao,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Shan Liu,
Ran Liao,
Ran Liao,
Lang Lin,
Hengxiang Li
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Ran Liao,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Rui Hou,
Rui Hou,
Hengxiang Li
Rui Hou,
Ran Liao,
Rui Hou,
Rui Hou,
Rui Hou,
Lang Lin,
Ran Liao,
Lang Lin,
Zhen Yuan,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Zhen Yuan,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Shan Liu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Rui Hou,
Rui Hou,
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Hengxiang Li
Rui Hou,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Hengxiang Li
Lang Lin,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Rui Hou,
Ran Liao,
Ran Liao,
Zhen Yuan,
Ran Liao,
Zhen Yuan,
Hengxiang Li
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Ran Liao,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Rui Hou,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Ran Liao,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Rui Hou,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Lang Lin,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Hengxiang Li
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Xiang‐Rong Xu,
Ran Liao,
Hengxiang Li
Summary
Researchers measured airborne microplastics in Guangzhou, a major city in southern China, finding them throughout the year with higher levels during the rainy season. They estimated that adults in the city inhale tens of thousands of microplastic particles annually through normal breathing. Rainfall helped wash microplastics out of the air, but it also deposited them onto surfaces where they can enter water and soil, creating another pathway for human exposure.
Atmospheric microplastics (AMPs) have raised much concern for public health due to their potential for exposure. In this study, temporal distribution, characteristics and exposure risk of AMPs were studied in the urban area of Guangzhou, a metropolis in Southern China, and the washout effect of rainfall on AMPs was investigated. It was found that AMP abundances in Guangzhou were in a range of 0.01-0.44 items/m, with higher abundance in the wet season (0.19 ± 0.01 items/m) than in the dry season (0.15 ± 0.02 items/m). The distribution of AMPs did not correspond to that of common air pollutants (e.g., PM and PM), implying that their pollution sources might be distinct. In Guangzhou, a total of 1.26 × 10 items AMPs are in the air every year, and annual inhalation exposure of adults was estimated to be in the range of 79.65-3.50 × 10 items. The annual deposition flux of AMPs is 65.94 ± 7.53 items/m/d, and the deposition flux in the wet season (84.00 ± 6.95 items/m/d) was much greater than that in the dry season (47.88 ± 8.35 items/m/d). Furthermore, rainfall has an effective mechanism for removing AMPs from the atmosphere, with an average washout ratio of (19.39 ± 6.48) × 10 for rainfall washing AMPs out. Compared to moderate rain (2.5-10 mm/h) and heavy rain (10-50 mm/h), light rain (rainfall intensity <2.5 mm/h) had a better washout effect. This study contributes to the evaluation of AMP exposure risk and understanding of AMP environmental behavior and fate by providing long-term monitoring data on AMPs and quantifying the washout effect of rainfall on AMPs for the first time.