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Assessing microplastics pollution in the atmosphere and riverine system in the Pyrenees
Summary
This study measured airborne microplastics deposited in the Pyrenees mountains — a remote area far from major urban sources — finding significant contamination in both air deposition and river sediments. The results confirm that microplastics are transported long distances by wind and deposited even in pristine mountain environments. Rivers then act as conduits that transport these atmospherically deposited microplastics toward the ocean.
Plastic pollution is a worldwide environmental issue, which affects all natural habitats, even in the most pristine areas. Recent workssuggest that rivers may act as temporary sinks for land-based plastic pollution while also serving as transport “highways” for plastic waste tothe ocean. Until now though, studies on airborne microplastics (MPs) have mainly been focused on urban areas, with much less attentiongiven towards remote and pristine systems. Further, studies have also stated that atmospheric circulation is responsible for the re-emissionand return of MP particles from marine environments back to terrestrial habitats. Here, we present the results derived from the cooperationbetween the PLASTICØPYR and ATMO-PLASTIC projects, both focused on the impact of plastic pollution in the Pyrenees under differentlevels of human activity. The PLASTICØPYR and ATMO-PLASTIC projects aim to quantify MPs in different river habitats and the emission ofMPs to the atmospheric compartment, respectively. Both projects aim to illustrate that MP pollution is not restricted uniquely to urban sites.The main goal of this collaboration is to acquire a holistic understanding of the link between human activity and plastic pollution in fluvialsystems and the atmospheric compartment, in order to identify the main sources of MP pollution in pristine areas of the Pyrenees, includingthe site of Bernadouze OHM Vicdessos. Our results will allow us to identify the most impacted areas, and potential MP pollution hotspots,which in turn will further our understanding of plastic dynamics between rivers and the atmosphere.