We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Temporal Distribution of Airborne Microplastics at an Urban Roadside
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a year-long sampling program for airborne microplastics at an urban roadside site in Zhengzhou, China, finding that traffic volume, seasonal variation, and meteorological conditions influenced the temporal distribution and polymer composition of atmospheric microplastics. Micro-Raman spectroscopy identified the dominant polymer types present in traffic-adjacent air.
Microplastics (MPs), a class of emerging pollutants, are widely present in the atmosphere. The present study was conducted with the objective of investigating the distribution of microplastics in the traffic environment. To this end, a year-long sampling programme was implemented on Lianhua Street in Zhengzhou, China. This street is a typical urban arterial road characterised by a high daily traffic volume and a mixture of commercial and residential surroundings. The samples were first analyzed for quantity and shape by stereomicroscopy, followed by polymer identification via micro-Raman spectroscopy (532 nm laser). The findings indicated that the average concentration of MPs in traffic areas was highest in winter (2340 ± 660 items/m3), followed by autumn and summer, and lowest in spring (960 ± 480 items/m3). Concentrations were greater on non-working days compared to working days, but there was no significant difference between peak and off-peak traffic hours. Most traffic-related MPs detected between 10 and 30 µm (69.2%). The average particle size was largest in summer (27.77 ± 16.53 µm), then autumn (26.75 ± 16.50 µm), spring (26.25 ± 13.74 µm), and smallest in winter (21.14 ± 11.18 µm). The main polymer types identified were tire wear particles (TWPs), ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyethylene (PE), and polyurethane (PU), accounting for 79.7%, 14.5%, 5.1%, and 0.7% of the annual average, respectively. TWPs and PE were most prevalent in spring, while TWPs and EVA dominated during the other seasons. Microplastics primarily appeared as granules (76.6%), fragments (20.2%), and fibers (3.2%). The findings reveal the temporal distribution of MPs in traffic environments and provide essential baseline data for their management and regulation.
More Papers Like This
Spatiotemporal occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in the urban road dust in a megacity, eastern China
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers collected road dust samples from different areas of Nanjing, a major city in eastern China, and found an average of 143 microplastic particles per square meter. Commercial and heavy industrial zones had the highest contamination levels, with 29 different polymer types identified across the city. The study found that urban land use, recent rainfall, and particulate matter levels were the main factors influencing microplastic pollution patterns in road dust.
Characterization of Airborne Microplastics Particles on Urban Roads: Types, Sizes, and Total Particles
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers collected airborne microplastic samples from urban road environments and characterized particle types, sizes, color distributions, and polymer compositions, finding tire-wear rubber and paint fragments alongside fiber and film fragments from packaging and textiles.
Microplastic Pollution in the Ambient Air of Surabaya, Indonesia
AI summary Read the abstract
Airborne microplastics were measured at three roadside sites in Surabaya, Indonesia, finding fibers as the dominant shape and highest concentrations at high-traffic sites, with FTIR identifying a range of polymer types. The study provides the first microplastic pollution data for Indonesian urban air and demonstrates a traffic-density relationship with atmospheric microplastic levels.
Microplastics in the atmospheric of the eastern coast of China: different function areas reflecting various sources and transport
AI summary Read the abstract
Atmospheric sampling at two sites in a Chinese coastal city found microplastics suspended in the air at both downtown and industrial locations, but with different dominant sources — lifestyle and consumer products in the city center versus industrial activity in the industrial zone. The finding that microplastics are transported through the atmosphere confirms that people in urban areas are inhaling plastic particles regardless of proximity to industrial facilities.
Suspended Airborne Microplastics in Urban Roadside Environments of Cagayan De Oro City, Philippines: Abundance, Characteristics, and Polymer Composition
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers collected airborne microplastics from four roadside sites in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, using respirable dust samplers and ATR-FTIR polymer confirmation, finding polypropylene and PET fibers as dominant forms with concentrations up to 0.0212 items per cubic meter and greater variation in particle characteristics than in overall abundance across sites.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.