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Microplastics in the Atmosphere
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This review summarises evidence on atmospheric transport of microplastics, noting it is a global and serious pollution dissemination mechanism that has received less scientific attention than aquatic pathways. Airborne microplastics are predominantly fibers and correlate with human population density and industrial activity.
Atmospheric transport of microplastics is global in extent. This is a far more serious pollutant dissemination mechanism than other types and modes of pollutant disseminations in the environment. Yet, studies on and data pertaining to microplastics in the atmosphere are scanty. Most of the microplastics in the atmosphere are fibers, though films, fragments, and foams are frequently found, while microbeads are rare. Correlations exist between population density, urban, industrial, and anthropogenic activity, and the quantum of atmospheric microplastic particles. While it is of common knowledge that airborne microplastic particles from terrestrial origins are found in both polluted and remote areas over land, as well as in coastal, deep marine, and polar regions, occurrences of polyethylene and polypropylene that are produced locally in seawater are also documented. As airborne microplastics travel an order of magnitude faster than oceanic transport, this study necessitates similar studies elsewhere in order to understand the ramifications as well as budgeting.
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This review examines sources, transport mechanisms, and deposition patterns of airborne microplastics in the atmosphere, finding that factors like wind, temperature, rainfall, population density, and human activities influence their abundance and long-distance dispersal.
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This review summarizes what is known about airborne microplastics—tiny plastic particles floating in the air we breathe—including their sources, distribution, and potential health risks. Fibers are the most common form found in air, and inhalation is an important but underestimated route of human microplastic exposure.
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This study measured microplastic concentrations in the atmosphere using active and passive sampling to understand airborne transport pathways. Given that inhaling airborne microplastics is an underappreciated human exposure route, characterizing atmospheric plastic levels and transport is important for estimating total human exposure.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.