We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Global atmospheric distribution of microplastics with evidence of low oceanic emissions
ClearMicroplastics in the Atmosphere: A Global Perspective
This global modeling study found that atmospheric microplastic sources are dominated by land-based transport rather than ocean emissions, challenging earlier assumptions and suggesting that road traffic and other terrestrial activities are the primary drivers of microplastic particle distribution in the atmosphere.
Atmospheric microplastic emissions from land and ocean
Researchers compiled global data on airborne microplastics and found that fewer particles enter the atmosphere than previously estimated, with land-based sources producing far more particles by number than ocean sources. Concentrations over land were 27 times higher than over the ocean. This study helps clarify how much microplastic people breathe in and shows that urban and land-based environments are the primary sources of airborne microplastic exposure.
Atmospheric microplastic emissions from land and ocean
Researchers quantified atmospheric microplastic emissions from both land and ocean surfaces, finding that re-suspension of deposited plastics from land and sea spray from the ocean are significant sources of airborne particles. The results highlight that the ocean is not just a sink but also a source of airborne microplastics.
Global microplastic emission and deposition fluxes at the ocean-atmosphere interface
This study used bottom-up modeling to estimate how microplastics move between the ocean surface and the atmosphere at a global scale. The findings suggest ocean surfaces are both a source and sink for airborne microplastics, helping explain how plastics cycle through Earth's major environmental systems.
Efficient Atmospheric Transport of Microplastics over Asia and Adjacent Oceans
Researchers developed an atmospheric transport model for microplastics over Asia, estimating annual emissions of 310 gigagrams and finding that atmospheric transport efficiently carries microplastics from land sources to remote ocean regions across the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Atmospheric microplastic emissions from land and ocean
Researchers compiled a comprehensive atmospheric microplastic dataset and derived top-down and bottom-up emission estimates for particles in the 5-100 micrometer size range from both land and ocean sources, providing gridded emissions data in multiple formats for use in atmospheric transport modelling.
Reconciling modeled and observed atmospheric microplastics: a physically consistent framework reduces global emission estimates by a factor of 2
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles floating in our air may be much less common than previously thought - their new research suggests global emissions are about half of earlier estimates. This is important because these microscopic plastics can travel through the atmosphere and potentially end up in our lungs when we breathe. The study also found that most airborne microplastics come from land sources rather than the ocean, which could help guide efforts to reduce plastic pollution.
Bayesian Top-Down Pattern-Restricted Estimates of Atmospheric Microplastics Emissions using Gibbs sampler
Scientists used advanced computer modeling to track where microplastics (tiny plastic particles) in the air are coming from around the world. They found that these airborne plastic particles mainly come from road dust, farming activities, bare soil, and ocean surfaces - and their estimates match what other researchers have measured in different locations. This research helps us better understand how much plastic pollution is floating in the air we breathe, which is important for assessing potential health risks from breathing in these particles.
Constraining the atmospheric limb of the plastic cycle
Researchers modeled the atmospheric transport of microplastics across the western United States and found that most airborne particles originate from the breakdown of legacy plastic waste that has accumulated in the environment. Roads were identified as the dominant source, followed by marine, agricultural, and dust emissions near population centers. The study suggests that atmospheric microplastic transport represents a significant and underappreciated component of the global plastic pollution cycle.
A global atmospheric microplastics dataset and model-assisted insights into their atmospheric emissions
Scientists created the first global map of tiny plastic particles floating in our air and found they're everywhere—even in remote areas far from cities. These microscopic plastic bits can travel huge distances through the atmosphere and may pose health risks because they can carry harmful chemicals into our lungs when we breathe. The research shows that most airborne microplastics come from land-based sources rather than the ocean, helping us better understand how plastic pollution spreads around the planet.
Plastic dust in the wind
A research summary reports that the majority of airborne microplastics come not from the ocean but from road dust and other land-based sources, based on atmospheric sampling and transport modeling. This finding shifts attention to terrestrial sources of airborne plastic particles that people breathe every day.
Atmospheric Microplastics: Inputs and Outputs
Researchers examined how microplastics enter and move through the atmosphere, finding that up to 8.6 megatons per year may be suspended in air above the oceans alone. The particles are launched into the air from ocean spray and land-based sources, then distributed by wind before returning to Earth through rain and dry deposition. The study highlights that atmospheric transport is a major pathway for spreading microplastic contamination to even the most remote regions of the planet.
Ocean emission of microplastic
Researchers built a model showing that ocean waves and bursting bubbles can launch microplastics from seawater into the air, estimating that roughly 0.1 million metric tons of microplastic may be emitted from the ocean surface each year. These airborne microplastics can then be carried by wind over land, where they may be inhaled by people. The study reveals an important and previously underappreciated pathway by which ocean microplastic pollution becomes an air quality and human health concern.
Global emission, atmospheric transport and deposition trends of microplastics originating from road traffic
This modeling study estimated global emissions, atmospheric transport, and deposition of microplastics from road traffic sources, finding that road-derived microplastics are transported long distances by wind and deposited in remote locations including the Arctic. The findings quantify roads as a globally important source of atmospheric microplastic pollution.
Atmospheric Microplastics: Inputs and Outputs
This review describes how microplastics move between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere, with an estimated 8.6 megatons per year floating in the air above oceans alone. Clothing fibers are the biggest contributor to outdoor airborne microplastics, while indoor sources include furniture fabrics, ventilation systems, and human movement. The findings are significant because airborne microplastics can travel thousands of kilometers and are inhaled daily, making air a major but understudied route of human exposure.
Global inventory of atmospheric fibrous microplastics input into the ocean: An implication from the indoor origin
Researchers quantified atmospheric fibrous microplastic transport from land to ocean in the Asia-Pacific region using data from nine ocean cruises between 2018 and 2019, developing a global inventory of atmospheric microplastic input into marine environments. The study concluded that atmospheric deposition is a significant and previously underestimated pathway for inland microplastics to reach the ocean.
Understanding the sources of atmospheric microplastics
Scientists studied where tiny plastic particles in the air come from by analyzing data from cities, suburbs, and remote areas around the world. They found that no single source explains all the microplastics we breathe—instead, different locations have different main sources, like ocean spray in some areas and urban pollution in others. This research is important because understanding where airborne microplastics come from will help scientists better predict human exposure and potential health risks from breathing these particles.
Exponential decrease of airborne microplastics: From megacity to open ocean
Researchers measured atmospheric microplastics across the western Pacific Ocean and found concentrations decreased exponentially with distance from megacity sources, confirming that atmospheric transport is a major pathway for microplastics entering the open ocean.
Constraining Microplastic Particle Emission Flux from the Ocean
Researchers quantified the transfer of microplastics from seawater to sea spray aerosols in laboratory experiments, finding enrichment factors up to 24,000-fold depending on particle size. Their bottom-up emission estimate suggests the oceans emit 24 quintillion microplastic pieces per year but are unlikely to be a significant source of atmospheric microplastics relative to land-based sources.
Modelled sources of airborne microplastics collected at a remote Southern Hemisphere site
Researchers measured airborne microplastic deposits at a remote New Zealand mountain site and used a global atmospheric model to trace where the particles came from, finding that sea spray during long-range wind transport was the dominant source. The study also revealed that shorter sampling periods capture 6 times more microplastics than weekly sampling, suggesting previous studies may have significantly underestimated atmospheric microplastic deposition.
Global Modeling of Microplastics in the Atmosphere
Researchers modeled global atmospheric microplastics and estimated that over 100 kilotons of particles are suspended in the air at any time, with adults worldwide inhaling up to 1.5 billion microplastic particles per year, and even remote regions like Antarctica receiving significant deposition.
New insights into the long-term dynamics and deposition-suspension distribution of atmospheric microplastics in an urban area
Researchers tracked airborne microplastics in a city over a full year and found an average of 302 particles per square meter per day falling from the sky, with people potentially inhaling up to 12,777 particles per year. The microplastics came from sources up to 1,750 kilometers away, including traffic, industry, and textiles. This study highlights that breathing is a significant route of microplastic exposure for humans, even for people living far from obvious pollution sources.
Atmospheric transport of microplastics from land to sea is inefficient: Evidence from multimedia observations
Researchers used multimedia observations from both land and sea to quantify the transport efficiency of atmospheric microplastics from land to ocean, finding that atmospheric transport is an inefficient pathway for delivering land-sourced microplastics to marine environments compared to other transport routes.
Exploring the Transport Path of Oceanic Microplastics in the Atmosphere
Researchers used computer modeling to estimate how microplastics are launched from the ocean surface into the atmosphere and transported around the globe. They identified tropical ocean regions as major emission hotspots and found that tiny plastic particles can travel efficiently through the atmosphere and even reach the stratosphere, where they may linger for months. The study suggests that current estimates of ocean surface microplastic concentrations may be one to two orders of magnitude too low.