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Occurrence and transport of microplastics sampled within and above the planetary boundary layer
The Science of The Total Environment2020
229 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 45
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Roberto Rosal,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Roberto Rosal,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Carlos Edo,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Ángeles Aguilera,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Carlos Edo,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Roberto Rosal,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Carlos Edo,
Carlos Edo,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Daniel Viúdez‐Moreiras,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Carlos Edo,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Elena González‐Toril,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Gerardo Pulido‐Reyes,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Susana Osuna,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Susana Osuna,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Graciela de Diego-Castilla,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Miguel González-Pleiter
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisco Leganés,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Francisco Leganés,
Francisco Leganés,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Francisco Leganés,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Francisca Fernández‐Piñas,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Roberto Rosal,
Miguel González-Pleiter
Summary
Aircraft sampling campaigns measured microplastic occurrence in the atmosphere both within and above the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Microplastics were detected at altitudes above the PBL, providing the first direct evidence that microplastics are present in the atmosphere at significant heights above the ground surface.
Nowadays, there is no direct evidence about the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the atmosphere above ground level. Here, we investigated the occurrence, chemical composition, shape, and size of MPs in aircraft sampling campaigns flying within and above the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The results showed that MPs were present with concentrations ranging from 1.5 MPs m above rural areas to 13.9 MPs m above urban areas. MPs represented up to almost one third of the total amount of microparticles collected. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy allowed identifying seven types of MPs with the highest diversity corresponding to urban areas. Atmospheric transport and deposition simulations were performed using the HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Air mass trajectory analyses showed that MPs could be transported more than 1000 km before being deposited. This pioneer study is the first evidence of the microplastic presence above PBL and their potential long-range transport from their point of release even crossing distant borders.