Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Compositions, Sources, and Aging Processes of Aerosol Particles during Winter Hazes in an Inland Megacity of NW China

Researchers characterized aerosol particles during winter haze events in Xi'an, China, identifying complex mixtures of organic compounds, heavy metals, and other pollutants. The unique local geography concentrates these airborne particles, contributing to the city's severe air quality problems.

2022 Atmosphere 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative study on physicochemical characteristics of atmospheric microplastics in winter in inland and coastal megacities: A case of Beijing and Shanghai, China

Researchers compared airborne microplastic pollution during winter in Beijing, an inland city, and Shanghai, a coastal city in China. They found notable differences in the shapes, sizes, and polymer types of microplastics between the two cities, reflecting their distinct urban and industrial environments. The study provides evidence that local geography and economic activity significantly influence the characteristics of atmospheric microplastic contamination.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric microplastics in Handan, China: characteristics, seasonal variations, and human exposure risk

Researchers conducted a year-long monitoring campaign of deposited and suspended atmospheric microplastics in Handan, an industrial city in northern China. They found strong seasonal variations linked to wind patterns and industrial emissions, with human inhalation exposure posing a measurable health risk.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Microplastic atmospheric dustfall pollution in urban environment: Evidence from the types, distribution, and probable sources in Beijing, China

Researchers collected atmospheric dustfall samples across urban Beijing and analyzed the types, distribution, and likely sources of airborne microplastics. They found that synthetic fibers from textiles and fragments from various plastic products were the dominant forms, with concentrations varying by location and proximity to pollution sources. The study provides evidence that urban atmospheric microplastic pollution is widespread and likely linked to daily human activities and industrial processes.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance of microplastics and nanoplastics in urban atmosphere

Scientists measured microplastics and nanoplastics in the air of two major Chinese cities and found concentrations reaching hundreds of thousands of particles per cubic meter. Road dust being kicked up by traffic and rainfall washing particles out of the sky were the two biggest drivers of atmospheric plastic pollution. These findings suggest that city residents are inhaling significant amounts of plastic particles every day, with potential implications for respiratory and overall health.

2026 Science Advances 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Water Research 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics in the megalopolis (Shanghai) during rainy season: Characteristics, influence factors, and source

Researchers characterized atmospheric microplastic deposition in Shanghai during the rainy season, finding that rainfall events significantly increased deposition rates, with fibers dominating and sources linked to both local urban activities and long-range atmospheric transport.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 134 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of suspended atmospheric microplastics in Tianjin Binhai New Area: characterization, human health risks, and correlation with weather conditions and Air Quality Index

Researchers measured airborne microplastics in an urban area of Tianjin, China, and found them in every sample collected during autumn and winter. The particles were mostly fibers, with polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene among the most common types, and concentrations varied with weather conditions like humidity and barometric pressure. A health risk assessment suggested that residents face measurable exposure to airborne microplastics, raising concerns about long-term inhalation risks.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the atmospheric of the eastern coast of China: different function areas reflecting various sources and transport

Atmospheric sampling at two sites in a Chinese coastal city found microplastics suspended in the air at both downtown and industrial locations, but with different dominant sources — lifestyle and consumer products in the city center versus industrial activity in the industrial zone. The finding that microplastics are transported through the atmosphere confirms that people in urban areas are inhaling plastic particles regardless of proximity to industrial facilities.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Is the impact of atmospheric microplastics on human health underestimated? Uncertainty in risk assessment: A case study of urban atmosphere in Xi'an, Northwest China

Researchers measured atmospheric microplastic pollution in Xi'an, China, finding an average of 12.5 particles per liter of air in total suspended particles. While standard risk assessment models suggested current levels do not threaten human health, the study argues that existing risk assessment methods may underestimate the true impact because they do not adequately account for microplastic characteristics like size, shape, and oxidative potential.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Reply on RC1

This reply addresses a reviewer comment on a study examining the impacts of Chinese government air pollution control measures on atmospheric pollutant concentrations across multiple regions. The response clarifies aspects of the methodology and interpretation of how emission reductions have affected air quality over recent decades.

2024
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of microplastics in the atmosphere of Anyang City

Researchers measured airborne microplastics in Anyang City, China, and found that concentrations increased significantly as air quality worsened, reaching an average of 0.42 particles per cubic meter during heavily polluted days. About 80% of the particles were black fiber strips, mainly made of cellophane, PET, and EVA. The study estimates that on high-pollution days, adults breathe in an average of 222 microplastic particles daily, highlighting the respiratory health risk from airborne microplastics in polluted cities.

2024 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

On the nature and sources of microplastics (MPs) and microrubbers (MRs) in urban snow

Researchers characterized microplastics and microrubber particles found in urban snowfall across five sites in central Iran. Using microscopy and atmospheric trajectory modeling, they determined that both local sources and long-range atmospheric transport contributed to the contamination. The study demonstrates that snow acts as a collector of airborne microplastic pollution and can reveal the mix of nearby and distant pollution sources affecting a region.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne microplastics in China: Assessing urbanization, weather factors and policy implications from the nationwide study

Researchers conducted the first nationwide assessment of atmospheric microplastics across 30 Chinese cities combined with year-round monitoring in Ningbo, finding an average deposition flux of 473.9 items m-2 d-1 and identifying urbanization level, seasonal weather patterns, and wind conditions as key governing factors of atmospheric microplastic distribution.

2025 Journal of Cleaner Production
Article Tier 2

[Distribution, Respiratory Exposure, and Traceability of Atmospheric Microplastics in Yichang City].

Researchers sampled airborne microplastics at 16 locations across Yichang City, China, and found them in every area, with the highest concentrations settling over urban residential neighborhoods. The particles were mostly polyester fibers and came predominantly from nearby sources rather than long-range transport. Daily inhalation estimates were calculated for both adults and children, highlighting indoor and outdoor respiratory exposure as a meaningful human health concern that warrants tighter monitoring.

2023 PubMed 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric microplastics at a southern China metropolis: Occurrence, deposition flux, exposure risk and washout effect of rainfall

Researchers measured airborne microplastics in Guangzhou, a major city in southern China, finding them throughout the year with higher levels during the rainy season. They estimated that adults in the city inhale tens of thousands of microplastic particles annually through normal breathing. Rainfall helped wash microplastics out of the air, but it also deposited them onto surfaces where they can enter water and soil, creating another pathway for human exposure.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristic of microplastics in the atmospheric fallout from Dongguan city, China: preliminary research and first evidence

Researchers characterized microplastics in atmospheric fallout collected in Dongguan City, China, finding that airborne microplastics are deposited daily and that urban areas generate significant atmospheric microplastic emissions.

2017 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 912 citations
Article Tier 2

How Does Public Participation in EnvironmentalProtection Affect Air Pollution in China?A Perspective of Local Government Intervention

Researchers used spatial econometric modeling of Chinese panel data from 2003-2017 to find that local government intervention worsens air quality due to inter-regional competition, and that public environmental participation only effectively reduces sulfur dioxide when supported by central government intervention.

2022 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic characteristics in rain/snow sampled from two northern Chinese cities

Microplastic concentrations in snowfall and rainfall were higher in urban than suburban areas in two northern Chinese cities, with laser-assisted infrared imaging identifying seasonal and spatial patterns in atmospheric microplastic deposition.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Various forms and deposition fluxes of microplastics identified in the coastal urban atmosphere

Researchers collected precipitation samples in a Chinese coastal city and found microplastics of multiple shapes deposited from the atmosphere, with seasonal variation in deposition rates. This is one of the first studies to document atmospheric microplastic deposition in a coastal urban environment.

2017 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 253 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics captured by snowfall: A study in Northern Iran

Fresh snow samples collected from 29 locations across urban and remote regions of northern Iran were analyzed for microplastics after a period of sustained snowfall, finding plastic particles at concentrations ranging from undetected to high levels depending on location. The study demonstrates that snowfall acts as an atmospheric scavenging mechanism for airborne microplastics and that urban areas show substantially higher deposition than remote sites.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Seasonal patterns and environmental drivers of atmospheric microplastics in a coastal megacity

Researchers conducted a year-long monitoring campaign of atmospheric microplastics in Shanghai to understand seasonal patterns and environmental drivers. The study identified distinct temporal dynamics in airborne microplastic concentrations in this coastal megacity, revealing how weather patterns, wind, and human activities influence atmospheric microplastic levels throughout the year.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Pandemic‐Associated Plastic Waste on Microplastics in Ambient PM2.5

Researchers measured microplastics in atmospheric PM2.5 samples collected from urban Xi'an before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that MP concentrations tripled during and after the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels, with transparent and white polypropylene and PET fibers dominant—consistent with increased single-use plastic disposal.

2025 Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics in an urban conglomerate near to the foothills of Indian Himalayas: Investigating the quantity, chemical character, possible sources and transport mechanisms

Scientists measured microplastic fallout from the air near the foothills of the Indian Himalayas and found an average of over 2,200 particles landing per square meter per day. Levels spiked during the Diwali festival, suggesting that human activities significantly increase airborne microplastic pollution. The findings show that even areas near remote mountain regions receive substantial microplastic deposits from the atmosphere, which people in those communities inhale.

2024 Environmental Pollution 11 citations