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Deposition of nanoplastics in high-altitude Alpine snow
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Researchers detected nanoplastics in Alpine snow samples at high altitude using a new chemical characterization method based on pyrolysis gas chromatography. Finding nanoplastics in remote mountain snow confirms that atmospheric transport can deliver plastic particles to even the most pristine environments on Earth. The study also demonstrates a methodological advance for detecting the extremely small particles that are hardest to analyze.
Recent research discovered that airborne microplastics pollution can reach very remote areas. However, analysis of nanoplastics in environmental samples remains challenging, mostly due to technical and methodological issues. A new method for chemical characterisation of nanoplastics based on TD-PTR-MS has been recently introduced. The detection limit of <1ng allowed for the first time the analysis of nanoplastics deposited on the snow in the pristine Alps. In this work, we analysed daily samples of surface snow close to the Sonnblick Observatory, Austria (3106 m altitude) in the period from 2017-02-07 to 2017-03-19, using our new method. The results showed a positive detection for various types of nanoplastics, and the most common type found was Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). We will present our results on the to-date longest daily record of nanoplastics deposition in high altitude regions and further discuss optimisations of TD-PTR-MS method for nanoplastics detection and quantification.
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Micro- and Nanoplastics in Alpine Snow: A New Method for Chemical Identification and (Semi)Quantification in the Nanogram Range
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Researchers developed a highly sensitive new method for detecting micro- and nanoplastics using thermal desorption mass spectrometry, achieving detection limits 100 times better than previous techniques. They used this method to identify multiple types of plastic particles in snow samples from the Austrian Alps, including nanometer-scale polyethylene terephthalate. The presence of nanoplastics in high-altitude alpine snow confirms that plastic pollution travels through the atmosphere to even remote locations.
Nanoplastics transport to the remote, high-altitude Alps
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Researchers measured nanoplastic concentrations in snow at a remote Alpine observatory over 3,100 meters above sea level, finding an average of 46.5 nanograms per milliliter of melted snow. The dominant plastic types detected were polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate, with air transport modeling tracing their origins to European urban areas. The study demonstrates that nanoplastics can travel long distances through the atmosphere and accumulate even in pristine high-altitude environments.
High-resolution TD-PTR-MS as a novel analytical technique for nanoplastic detection– quantification in high-altitude glacial snow samples
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Researchers used high-resolution thermal desorption proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometry as a novel method to detect and quantify nanoplastics in snow samples collected from high-altitude sites on the Haute Route mountaineering route between France and Switzerland. The method successfully identified nanoplastic signatures in remote glacial snow, confirming atmospheric transport of nanoplastics to high-elevation environments.
Fine microplastics and nanoplastics in particulate matter samples from a high alpine environment
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This study detected fine microplastics and nanoplastics in atmospheric particulate matter collected from a high alpine site in the Alps. The findings confirm that even remote mountain environments receive plastic pollution through the atmosphere, adding to evidence of global airborne plastic transport.
Chemical Analysis of Organic Aerosol Particles and Nanoplastics Deposited on Alpine Glaciers
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Researchers collected samples from alpine glaciers and detected nanoplastic particles alongside organic aerosols, finding that glaciers act as depositories for atmospheric plastic contamination. Nanoplastics were present even in these remote, high-altitude environments far from industrial sources. The findings contribute to understanding long-range atmospheric transport of plastic pollution to pristine environments.
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.