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Plastic in the Air?! – Spider webs as spatial mirrors for microplastics and tire wear in urban air
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Spider webs collected from urban areas were used as passive samplers for airborne microplastics and tire wear particles, with the sticky silk capturing particles from the surrounding air over time. Analysis found microplastics and tire-derived particles in all webs tested, with concentrations reflecting traffic intensity in the surrounding area. The study presents spider webs as a novel, inexpensive, and spatially flexible tool for monitoring atmospheric microplastic pollution.
Urban air is highly imprinted by anthropogenic activities resulting in micro sized particulate matter release. Besides dust, soot, brake and tire wear particle abrasion (TWP) the content of common microplastics (MP) in air, their composition, distribution and transport potential have come into the focus of investigations recently. However, available quantitative data sets are highly limited. Spider webs act as non-selective, climate- and season-independent particle traps, which occur worldwide. Successfully applied as passive samplers for inorganic contaminants 30 years ago, we investigate spider webs as a cheap and easily accessible biomonitor for evaluation of MP and TWP composition, spatial distribution and relative concentrations in urban air [1]. Samples were collected in covered bus stops at different trajectories and times in a mid-sized German city. The spider webs were processed with an advanced oxidation process (Fentons reagent) and analysed with PY-GC/MS. Polymers were quantified as backbone-related clusters (indicated by prefix "C") as introduced earlier. Various soot samples were analyzed, to evaluate potential interferences with the C-PVC indicator naphthalene, subsequently a factor was introduced to correct the C-PVC data (indicated by *). TWP and "traditional" MP were present in all samples representing 1 to 10% of the web's total mass. Most dominant was car tire wear (Ø 41%), followed by C-PET (Ø 36%) and *C-PVC (Ø 12%). C-PET is most likely derived from textile fibers, *C-PVC is assumed to originate notably from road markings. Although frequently found, truck tire wear, C-PE, C-PP, C-PS, C-PMMA and C-PC were present in much lower concentrations (Ø Also see: https://micro2022.sciencesconf.org/426308/document
More Papers Like This
Plastic in the air?! - Spider webs as spatial and temporal mirror for microplastics including tire wear particles in urban air
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Spider webs collected from urban environments were analyzed as passive biomonitors for airborne microplastics including tire wear particles, with results showing that webs captured diverse plastic types reflecting local traffic and industrial sources. The study proposes spider webs as a low-cost tool for spatial and temporal mapping of atmospheric plastic pollution.
An integrative analysis of microplastics in spider webs and road dust in an urban environment–webbed routes and asphalt Trails
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Researchers analyzed microplastics in spider webs and road dust collected from urban environments, finding that spider webs are an effective and low-cost way to monitor airborne microplastic pollution, with indoor parking lots showing microplastic counts 31 times higher than outdoor lots. The study demonstrates that spider webs can serve as natural passive samplers to track plastic particle pollution in city air.
Microplastic atmospheric pollution in an urban Southern Brazil region: What can spider webs tell us?
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Researchers used spider webs as a passive sampling tool to monitor airborne microplastic pollution across urban areas in southern Brazil. They found microplastics in webs from all sampling locations, with fibers being the most common type, reflecting contributions from synthetic textiles. The study demonstrates that spider webs can serve as a simple and effective method for tracking atmospheric microplastic contamination in cities.
Integrated GC–MS and ATR–FTIR analysis of airborne microplastics captured by spider webs
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Scientists used spider webs like tiny air filters to check for microplastic pollution in a Polish city, and found tire particles, rubber, and various plastic materials (like nylon and polypropylene) in every single web they tested — whether downtown or in the suburbs. This matters because it shows these tiny plastic bits are floating in the air all around us pretty evenly, which means we're likely breathing them in no matter where we live in a city, and cheap, everyday spider webs could become an easy tool for tracking this invisible pollution.
Spider Webs as Passive Monitors of Microplastic and Its Copollutants in Indoor Environments
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Researchers tested indoor spider webs as passive monitors for microplastic contamination and found significantly higher microplastic concentrations in webs (up to 33,570 particles per gram) compared to household dust. A strong correlation between microplastic levels in webs and dust suggests spider webs are effective bioindicators of indoor plastic pollution. The study also detected chemical co-pollutants like bisphenol A and phthalates in both webs and dust, highlighting the complex mixture of contaminants in indoor environments.
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