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Greenspaces can reduce the level of airborne microplastic contamination in urban environments: Evidence from a lichen biomonitoring study
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Researchers used lichen transplants to monitor airborne microplastic levels in the city of Pisa, Italy, comparing parking lots, urban parks, and rural areas. They found that parking lots had roughly eight times more microplastics than rural sites, while urban parks showed intermediate levels, indicating that green spaces help buffer airborne plastic contamination. The study suggests that urban greenspaces can meaningfully reduce residents' exposure to airborne microplastics.
Microplastics (MPs) have been found across a variety of environments, nonetheless few studies have evaluated atmospheric MPs. In this study, airborne MP contamination was investigated using transplants of the fruticose lichen Evernia prunastri in urban sites. Lichen transplants were exposed for seven weeks (April to June 2023) in parking lots (n = 9) and urban parks (n = 9) in the city of Pisa (Tuscany, Central Italy); in parallel, native samples from rural areas (n = 4) were also investigated. The overall aim was the characterization of MPs in terms of number, shape, size and polymer composition under different environmental conditions. Further, the positive role of green urban areas in buffering atmospheric MPs was assessed. We found MPs, including fragments, fibres and tyre wear particles, across all sites. The average number of MPs (per gram dry weight of lichen) significantly increased from rural areas (2 ± 0.4 MP/g dw) to urban parks (7 ± 1.1 MP/g dw) and parking lots (16 ± 4.1 MP/g dw). Average daily MP deposition rates across sites in urban areas was in the range of 12-143 MP/m/d, suggesting that inhabitants are exposed to varying levels of airborne MPs. There was no difference in the length of the fibres between parking lots and urban parks; however, longer fragments and shorter tyre wear particles were found in parking lots. Polyethylene terephthalate was the dominant polymer detected across sites. The transplants maintained their overall vitality after the exposure (assessed by chlorophyll a fluorescence emission analysis), similar to native samples from rural areas, suggesting that the exposure had a negligible effect on lichen metabolism. Overall, our results suggest that lichen transplants are effective biomonitors of atmospheric MPs in urban areas, and that the presence of greenspaces (parks) in urban environments can significantly buffer the level of atmospheric MPs.
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Passive biomonitoring of airborne microplastics using lichens: A comparison between urban, natural and protected environments
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Scientists used lichens (small plant-like organisms that grow on trees and rocks) to measure tiny plastic particles floating in the air around Rome, Italy. They found that urban areas had twice as many airborne microplastics as natural areas, with the longest plastic fibers found in the city center where people live and work. This matters because these same plastic particles that lichens trap from the air are also being breathed in by humans, potentially affecting our health.
Lichen Biomonitoring of Airborne Microplastics in Milan (N Italy)
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Researchers used lichen transplants across Milan to monitor airborne microplastic deposition, finding that microplastic accumulation varied with land-use zones and traffic density, validating lichens as effective biomonitors for atmospheric plastic pollution.
Passive biomonitoring of airborne microplastics using lichens: A comparison between urban, natural and protected environments
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Scientists used lichens (small plant-like organisms that grow on trees and rocks) to measure tiny plastic particles floating in the air around Rome, Italy. They found that urban areas had twice as many airborne microplastics as natural areas, with the plastic particles getting trapped by the lichens. This research matters because it shows lichens can help us track air pollution from microplastics, which scientists are studying for potential health effects when people breathe them in.
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Researchers compared lichen and moss transplants as tools for monitoring airborne microfiber pollution across urban sites in Italy. They found that lichens accumulated significantly more microfibers than mosses and were better at detecting differences between locations. The study suggests that lichen transplants offer a more effective and accessible biomonitoring approach for tracking airborne microplastic contamination in cities.
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