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Environmental Sources
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Terrestrial plants as a potential temporary sink of atmospheric microplastics during transport
The Science of The Total Environment2020
193 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.
Nian Wei,
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Xiaohui Wang,
Feng Zhang,
Kai Liu,
Nian Wei,
Nian Wei,
Feng Zhang,
Feng Zhang,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Nian Wei,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Xiaohui Wang,
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Nian Wei,
Daoji Li
Nian Wei,
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Nian Wei,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Feng Zhang,
Feng Zhang,
Feng Zhang,
Nian Wei,
Nian Wei,
Nian Wei,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Nian Wei,
Daoji Li,
Feng Zhang,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Feng Zhang,
Feng Zhang,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Nian Wei,
Daoji Li
Nian Wei,
Kai Liu,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Nian Wei,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Nian Wei,
Nian Wei,
Nian Wei,
Nian Wei,
Nian Wei,
Kai Liu,
Feng Zhang,
Feng Zhang,
Feng Zhang,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Nian Wei,
Kai Liu,
Kai Liu,
Nian Wei,
Nian Wei,
Xiaohui Wang,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Feng Zhang,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Kai Liu,
Feng Zhang,
Nian Wei,
Feng Zhang,
Feng Zhang,
Feng Zhang,
Nian Wei,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Feng Zhang,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Daoji Li
Daoji Li
Daoji Li,
Kai Liu,
Daoji Li
Summary
Plant leaves in two urban regions were found to trap atmospheric microplastics, with plastics making up 28% of the particles adhered to leaf surfaces. Extrapolated globally, leaves in the top 11 greenest countries could hold an estimated 130 billion microplastic pieces, making plants a temporary but significant atmospheric sink for microplastic pollution.
Atmospheric transport is an important pathway by which terrestrial microplastics (MPs, with sizes less than 5 mm) can move long distances to remote areas. However, little is known about the environmental behaviors of atmospheric MPs during movement. To address this issue, deposits of MPs on the leaves of plants were studied in two regions, with abundance ranging from 0.07 n/cm (pieces per area of leaves) to 0.19 n/cm. The attached substances were mainly natural materials, but 28% of the total substances were plastics. There was a similar physical-chemical composition of the attached MPs in the two regions suggesting a similar origin. Leaves, regardless of plant species, can indiscriminately retain atmospheric MPs. About 0.13 trillion pieces of MPs are estimated to be attached to leaf surfaces in the top 11 green countries. Leaves of terrestrial plants could be a temporal sink and a source of MPs pollution to remote areas. This is not fully recognized and merits further study.