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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Accumulation of Airborne Microplastics on Forest Canopy Leaves: Insights from Trichomes and Epicuticular Waxes
ClearFoliar retention of atmospheric microplastics: Influence of leaf surface properties and rainfall intensity
Researchers found that leaf surface properties and rainfall intensity significantly influence how much atmospheric microplastics are retained on plant foliage, with leaves near a landfill retaining up to 0.80 items/cm2 and autumn showing the highest seasonal accumulation across five common urban tree species.
A preliminary comparison of microplastic type, size, and composition in atmospheric and foliage samples in an urban scenario
Researchers compared microplastic types, sizes, and polymer compositions in atmospheric dry and wet deposition at multiple sites, assessing contributions to ecosystem contamination. The results showed that atmospheric deposition is a significant pathway for microplastic redistribution, particularly to remote areas.
Terrestrial plants as a potential temporary sink of atmospheric microplastics during transport
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.
Accumulation of airborne microplastics on leaves of different tree species in the urban environment
Researchers measured airborne microplastics collected on tree leaves in urban areas of the Netherlands and Portugal, finding that needle-shaped leaves from pine and fir trees captured the most particles per surface area. Trees appear to act as natural filters for airborne microplastics, especially the smallest particles, and more plastic accumulated on leaves during dry periods. This matters for human health because airborne microplastics are a growing source of exposure through breathing.
Comparison of microplastic type, size, and composition in atmospheric and foliage samples in an urban scenario
Researchers compared microplastic contamination in outdoor air deposits and on plant leaf surfaces in an urban area and found that both sampling methods detected similar types and sizes of microplastic particles. Fibers were the most common shape found, and polyester and polyethylene were among the most frequently identified polymers. The study suggests that plant foliage could serve as a practical biomonitor for tracking airborne microplastic pollution in cities.
Master of science
Researchers investigated the retention and wash-off behavior of microplastics on beech leaves (Fagus sylvatica) during precipitation events at a forest site near Collelongo, Italy, sampling leaves at 2 m and 4 m heights alongside atmospheric deposition. Laboratory experiments using standardized water shaking and Tween 20 washes characterized how microplastics deposited on leaf surfaces are mobilized and transported through forest canopy during rainfall.
Master of science
Researchers investigated the retention and wash-off behavior of microplastics on beech leaves (Fagus sylvatica) during precipitation events at a forest site near Collelongo, Italy, sampling leaves at 2 m and 4 m heights alongside atmospheric deposition. Laboratory experiments using standardized water shaking and Tween 20 washes characterized how microplastics deposited on leaf surfaces are mobilized and transported through forest canopy during rainfall.
A preliminary comparison of microplastic type, size, and composition in atmospheric and foliage samples in an urban scenario
Researchers compared microplastic types, sizes, and polymer compositions in atmospheric dry and wet deposition samples from different settings. The study found that atmospheric deposition is a meaningful pathway for microplastic dispersal, with variation in particle characteristics across sites.
Airborne microplastics in leaves and food safety risks
Researchers provided evidence that airborne microplastics are deposited on and taken up by plant leaves, highlighting an important and underappreciated pathway of terrestrial plastic pollution and raising food safety concerns about the accumulation of airborne MPs on edible vegetation.
Master of science
Researchers investigated microplastic retention on beech leaves (Fagus sylvatica) at different canopy heights in central Italy, examining how precipitation events mobilize or wash off atmospheric microplastic depositions from leaf surfaces in a forest ecosystem.
Phyllosphere as a Signature of Microplastic Deposition in Peri-Urban Environments
This chapter explores how plant leaf surfaces (phyllosphere) capture and accumulate atmospheric microplastic deposition in peri-urban environments, examining deposition mechanisms, accumulation patterns, and the potential to use phyllosphere sampling as an indicator of local MP pollution.
Master of science
Researchers investigated microplastic retention on beech leaves (Fagus sylvatica) during precipitation events in a forested study site in Collelongo, Abruzzo, Italy, sampling leaves at different tree heights (2 m and 4 m) and collecting atmospheric deposition below the tree canopy. They quantified microplastic particles released from leaves by shaking with water and Tween 20, assessing how foliar surfaces capture and re-release airborne microplastics during rainfall.
Mitigating airborne microplastics pollution from perspectives of precipitation and underlying surface types
Researchers collected airborne microplastics under and away from a Ficus tree in Chengdu, China, finding that tree canopy cover and meteorological conditions such as precipitation significantly reduce airborne microplastic concentrations, suggesting vegetation as a natural mitigation measure.
Origins and ecological risk of atmospheric microplastics at a remote background site in Japan
Atmospheric microplastics collected at a high-altitude site were traced to both local and long-range transport origins, revealing the broad geographical spread of airborne plastic particles. The ecological risk assessment found potential impacts on vulnerable high-elevation ecosystems far from pollution sources.
Dynamic fluctuations in plant leaf interception of airborne microplastics
A 7-day field experiment measuring plant leaf interception of airborne microplastics found that leaf MP loads fluctuate dynamically due to deposition and re-suspension processes, challenging the use of static accumulation models for estimating MP interception by vegetation.
Urban trees as natural interceptors for aerial microplastics: Mechanisms, influencing factors, and selection of tree types for mitigation
This meta-analysis found that urban trees intercept aerial microplastics through surface adhesion and chemical bonding, with fiber-shaped polypropylene particles under 1 mm most commonly captured on leaves. Indigenous evergreen species emerged as the most effective tree type for microplastic mitigation, and rainfall facilitates continuous interception cycles by washing particles from leaf surfaces.
Forest soils accumulate microplastics through atmospheric deposition
Researchers quantified microplastics in forest soil layers and atmospheric throughfall deposition to understand how microplastics accumulate in forest ecosystems. They found that microplastics initially enriched in decomposed litter layers before accumulating in deeper mineral soil through natural litter turnover processes. The study suggests that forests act as good indicators of atmospheric microplastic pollution, with most forest soil microplastics originating from atmospheric deposition rather than other sources.
Evaluating the retention of airborne microplastics on plant leaf: Influence of leaf morphology
Researchers tested how well different plant species capture airborne microplastics on their leaves and found that plants with textured surfaces like tiny hairs (trichomes) or divided leaflets trapped the most particles. PET fibers were the most common type of airborne microplastic captured. The study suggests that indoor and outdoor plants could help reduce the airborne microplastics that people breathe in, offering a simple, natural strategy to lower human exposure.
Characteristics, sources and influencing factors of atmospheric deposition of microplastics in three different ecosystems of Beijing, China
Researchers characterized atmospheric microplastic deposition across forest, agricultural, and residential ecosystems in Beijing, finding that residential areas had the highest deposition fluxes, with PET and rayon fibers being the dominant types.
Sequential extraction of anthropogenic microfibers from the leaves of Pittosporum tobira
A new sequential extraction protocol using tape-tearing, water washing, ethanol, and hydrogen peroxide successfully recovered airborne microfibers trapped on the waxy leaf surfaces of Pittosporum tobira shrubs, with polyester and PET fibers making up most of what was found. The study validates this common ornamental plant as a reliable biomonitor for airborne microfiber pollution in urban environments, opening the door to low-cost, wide-scale atmospheric plastic monitoring using vegetation.
Assessing the Influences of Leaf Functional Traits on Plant Performances Under Dust Deposition and Microplastic Retention
This study assessed airborne microplastic accumulation on the leaves of ten urban plant species in an Indian city, finding fragments and films were most abundant, and that leaf functional traits (surface texture, wax content) significantly influenced both microplastic retention and the plants' biochemical stress responses.
Microplastic abundance in atmospheric deposition within the Metropolitan area of Hamburg, Germany
Researchers measured atmospheric microplastic deposition across urban and rural sites in the Hamburg metropolitan region over 12 weeks, finding a mean of 275 particles per m² per day with polyethylene fragments dominant, and unexpectedly higher concentrations at rural sites under conifer forest canopy than at urban locations, suggesting forest combing effects and agricultural inputs as significant deposition drivers.
The chemical landscape of leaf surfaces and its interaction with the atmosphere
This review examines the chemistry of leaf surfaces and their interactions with atmospheric compounds, finding that leaves are active sites for multiphase chemical reactions rather than inert surfaces. Leaf surfaces also interact with atmospheric microplastics that deposit from the air, making plant surfaces a potential accumulation pathway for plastic particles entering terrestrial food webs.
Microplastics in the atmosphere: Adsorb on leaves and their effects on the phyllosphere bacterial community
A field study found that plant leaves in urban areas collect an average of about 3.6 airborne microplastic particles per square centimeter, mostly smaller than 80 micrometers, including polyamide and polyethylene. The microplastics significantly changed the bacterial communities living on leaf surfaces, potentially increasing the presence of disease-related bacteria. This finding is concerning because bacteria on contaminated leaves could enter the food chain through vegetables and fruits, or become airborne and be inhaled by people.