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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Vertical concentrations gradients and transport of airborne microplastics in wind tunnel experiments
ClearVertical concentrations gradients and transport of airborne microplastics in wind tunnel experiments
Researchers used a wind tunnel to study the vertical transport and concentration gradients of airborne polystyrene microplastics (0.51 micrometers diameter) injected at different heights under neutral atmospheric stability conditions. Results showed that maximum particle concentrations shifted toward the surface due to gravitational settling, and flux-gradient similarity analysis revealed the conditions necessary for long-range atmospheric microplastic transport.
Is transport of microplastics different from mineral particles? Idealized wind tunnel studies on polyethylene microspheres
Wind tunnel experiments revealed that plastic (polyethylene) microspheres behave differently from mineral dust particles when transported by wind, particularly on hydrophobic surfaces, where plastic particles detach and become airborne more readily. Particle-to-particle collisions were found to both assist and impede detachment. These findings help explain why microplastics are found in remote atmospheric environments and improve models for predicting how far plastic particles can travel through the air from pollution sources.
Is transport of microplastics different from that of mineral dust? Results from idealized wind tunnel studies
Researchers conducted wind tunnel experiments to examine the detachment and transport behavior of microplastics ranging from 38 to 125 um in diameter from idealized substrates, comparing their aerodynamic behavior to the well-established literature on mineral dust transport. The study identified key differences in microplastic detachment mechanisms relevant to understanding long-range atmospheric dispersal of plastic particles.
Normalized Settling Velocity Governs Short-Range Transport of Atmospheric Microplastics
Wind tunnel experiments showed that how fast a microplastic particle settles under gravity—its normalized settling velocity—is the single best predictor of how far it travels through the air before landing. This finding helps fill a major gap in atmospheric microplastic research by enabling better models of where airborne plastic particles deposit, which affects estimates of human inhalation exposure and ecosystem contamination.
Microplastics ride the atmosphere
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.
Vertical distribution and transport of microplastics in the urban atmosphere: New insights from field observations
Researchers conducted field observations of airborne microplastics at four different heights in Guangzhou, China, from ground level up to 488 meters on the Canton Tower. They found that microplastic concentrations decreased with altitude but were still present at the highest sampling point, suggesting that these particles can travel through the atmosphere over long distances. The study provides the first detailed vertical profile of atmospheric microplastics in an urban setting, offering new insights into how these particles are transported through the air.
Is plastic dust different from mineral dust? Results from idealized wind tunnel experiments.
Researchers conducted wind tunnel experiments to compare how plastic particles of different sizes detach from flat surfaces in wind compared to mineral dust particles. Plastic particles required higher wind speeds to become airborne than mineral dust of similar size, likely due to shape differences. These findings inform atmospheric transport models for predicting how far and how much microplastic can be carried by wind across the landscape.
Atmospheric transport dynamics of microplastic fibres
Researchers examined the atmospheric transport dynamics of microplastic fibres within boundary layer flows, comparing their motion to mineral grain transport and finding key differences in behaviour that have important implications for modelling the long-range atmospheric dispersal of microplastics to remote and rural locations.
Comment on ar-2024-9
Researchers studied the vertical transport of airborne microplastics in a wind tunnel under controlled neutral stability conditions, using an ultrasonic disperser to generate polystyrene particle-laden aerosols and identify the conditions enabling long-range atmospheric transport. They found specific turbulence and particle size thresholds determining whether microplastics become suspended for long-range dispersal versus depositing locally.
Dynamics of airborne microplastics, appraisal and distributional behaviour in atmosphere; a review
This review explores the sources, distribution, and behaviour of airborne microplastics in the terrestrial environment. Researchers summarize how factors like size, density, and atmospheric conditions influence microplastic transport and concentration in air. The study highlights that airborne exposure represents a significant and relatively understudied route of human microplastic intake, with particles capable of carrying organic pollutants that bioaccumulate through food webs.
Comment on ar-2024-9
Researchers studied the vertical transport of airborne polystyrene microspheres (0.51 micrometre diameter) in a controlled wind tunnel under neutral atmospheric stability, to identify the conditions enabling long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics. The wind tunnel experiments with ultrasonically generated aerosol droplets provided mechanistic insight into how sub-micrometre plastic particles can be lifted and sustained in the atmosphere for potential long-distance dispersal.
Influence of meteorological conditions on atmospheric microplastic transport and deposition
This review summarizes how weather conditions like wind, rain, and temperature affect how microplastics travel through the atmosphere and settle back to Earth. Wind can carry microplastics across long distances between land and ocean, creating a global cycle of airborne plastic pollution that contributes to the microplastics we inevitably breathe in every day.
Effects of Shape and Size on Microplastic Atmospheric Settling Velocity
Researchers measured atmospheric settling and horizontal drift velocities of various microplastic shapes and sizes in controlled settling chambers, providing empirical data needed to improve atmospheric transport models that explain how microplastics reach remote environments.
Comment on ar-2024-9
Researchers studied the vertical transport of airborne microplastics in a wind tunnel under neutral stability conditions, injecting polystyrene microspheres of 0.51 micrometers diameter via an ultrasonic disperser to identify the conditions required for long-range atmospheric transport. The controlled experimental setup provided time-invariant generation of single airborne particles to characterize the aerodynamic behavior governing microplastic dispersion in the atmosphere.
Characterization of Microplastics in the Atmosphere
This study measured microplastic concentrations in the atmosphere using active and passive sampling to understand airborne transport pathways. Given that inhaling airborne microplastics is an underappreciated human exposure route, characterizing atmospheric plastic levels and transport is important for estimating total human exposure.
Geometric Form and Density Govern Microplastic Particle Kinetics During Aeolian Transport
Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move through the air and found that they travel faster and farther than natural particles like sand. This means microplastics can spread much more easily through wind to remote areas where people live, including places far from pollution sources. Understanding how these plastics move through the air is important because it helps explain why microplastics are showing up everywhere on Earth, potentially affecting human health through the air we breathe.
Importance of atmospheric transport for microplastics deposited in remote areas
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 in the atmosphere: transportation and impact on humans
This chapter reviews the origins, atmospheric transport, distribution, and characterization of airborne microplastics. The authors note that microplastics have been detected in urban, suburban, and remote regions, raising the possibility of long-distance atmospheric transport. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps about the global distribution and health risks of airborne microplastics due to limitations in detection technologies and sampling methods.
Microplastics as an Emerging Source of Particulate Air Pollution
This review examines the growing body of research on airborne microplastics as a source of particulate air pollution, covering their sources, transport mechanisms, and presence in both indoor and outdoor environments. Researchers highlight that airborne microplastics can travel long distances and have been found in remote locations far from population centers. The study underscores significant gaps in our understanding of how inhaling these tiny plastic particles may affect human health.
The Peril of Plastics: Atmospheric Microplastics in Outdoor, Indoor, and Remote Environments
This review surveys the current state of knowledge about microplastics suspended in the atmosphere, covering outdoor, indoor, and remote environments. Researchers found that airborne microplastics are far more widespread than previously recognized, with fibers from textiles and vehicle tire wear being major sources. The study highlights that atmospheric transport can carry microplastics to even the most remote locations on Earth, and that inhaling these particles poses potential health concerns.