We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics ride the atmosphere
AI summary Read the abstract
Research confirms that microplastic particles are transported through the atmosphere over long distances, depositing in remote areas including the Arctic and high mountains. Atmospheric transport is now recognized as a major pathway spreading microplastic contamination to virtually every part of the planet.
Plastic is ubiquitous in human environments—and it doesn’t stay put. Tiny plastic particles have been found in some of the most remote parts of the planet, showing up in ice cores drilled in the Arctic, in protected wilderness areas in the western US, and on high mountains in the European Alps. Researchers have long suspected that these minuscule particles were being transported long distances through the atmosphere before raining down or falling out of the atmosphere as dust. A modeling study published July 14 bolsters the evidence for this idea, modeling how microplastics from vehicle tires and brake pads hitch an atmospheric ride from urban streets to remote regions and the world’s oceans (Nat. Commun. 2020, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17201-9). In recent years, researchers tracing the movement of microplastics into the wild have focused on how the pollutants move through waterways, such as by washing from rivers into the oceans. But this
More Papers Like This
Importance of atmospheric transport for microplastics deposited in remote areas
AI summary Read the abstract
This study highlights atmospheric transport as a significant and underappreciated pathway for depositing micro- and nanoplastics in remote areas including mountain regions and polar zones far from plastic sources. Airborne plastic particles can travel thousands of kilometers before being deposited, explaining the presence of microplastics in seemingly pristine remote environments.
Microplastics: All Up in the Air?
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines evidence for airborne microplastics, finding that plastic particles are transported through the atmosphere via wind and deposited in remote environments far from sources. Researchers discuss the implications for atmospheric monitoring, human inhalation exposure, and the global microplastic cycle.
Distribution and transport of atmospheric microplastics and the environmental impacts: A review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines the distribution, transport, and environmental impacts of atmospheric microplastics, synthesizing evidence that airborne plastics are found globally from urban centers to remote polar regions. The authors identify deposition via precipitation as a major pathway by which atmospheric microplastics contaminate soil and water surfaces.
Atmospheric Microplastic Transport
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines atmospheric transport of microplastics, covering emission sources including roads and oceans, the meteorological and particle-characteristic factors influencing transport and deposition, and the cycles by which microplastics are redistributed to remote environments including high-altitude and polar regions.
Airborne microplastics in Antarctica and New Zealand.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers detected airborne microplastics at two remote sites in Antarctica and New Zealand, including in previously pristine regions far from human habitation. The presence of microplastics in Antarctic air demonstrates that atmospheric transport can carry plastic particles to even the most remote corners of the planet.
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.