Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Antarctica - a Plastic Legacy in the Antarctic Snow?

This study detected microplastics in snow from remote Antarctic locations including the South Pole, Union Glacier, and Schanz Glacier, finding concentrations of 73-3,099 MP/L with 95% of particles smaller than 50 micrometers. Refined automated FTIR analysis revealed that previous Antarctic microplastic reports likely underestimated contamination due to analytical size limitations.

2023 4 citations
Article Tier 2

First evidence of microplastics in Antarctic snow

Researchers collected snow samples from 19 sites across the Ross Island region of Antarctica and found microplastics in every sample, at an average concentration of 29 particles per liter. Fibers were the most common particle type, with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) identified as the predominant polymer. This study provides the first evidence that airborne microplastics have reached Antarctic snow, demonstrating the truly global extent of microplastic pollution.

2022 ˜The œcryosphere 392 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

First evidence of microplastic deposition in snow from Turkey

Researchers collected the first evidence of microplastic deposition in snow from Turkey, finding 10.5 to 16 microplastic particles per liter in samples from Amanos Mountain, with fibers dominating and wind trajectory analysis suggesting both local agricultural sources and long-range atmospheric transport.

2023 Journal of Anatolian Environmental and Animal Sciences 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring microplastic distribution in Western North American snow

This study measured microplastic presence in snowfall across 11 sites along the western coastal North American range to infer atmospheric transport patterns. Microplastics were detected at all sites, with concentrations and polymer types reflecting regional emission sources and long-range atmospheric transport.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Diverse and high pollution of microplastics in seasonal snow across Northeastern China

Microplastics were characterized in seasonal snow across northeastern China using Nile Red staining and micro-FTIR, finding diverse polymer types and shapes with mean concentrations reflecting the region's high industrial activity and snow scavenging of atmospheric MPs.

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

Diverse and high pollution of microplastics in seasonal snow across Northeastern China

Researchers used Nile Red staining and micro-FTIR spectroscopy to characterize microplastics in seasonal snow across northeastern China, finding average concentrations of 4.52 x 10^4 MPs/L dominated by sub-50 micrometer fragments of ethylene vinyl acetate and polyethylene, with the highest global reported snow concentration at Changbai Mountains.

2024
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

Freshly fallen snow with full of microplastics: A scientific research in Riga central and peripheral area, Latvia.

Researchers sampled freshly fallen snow at six locations around Riga, Latvia, and detected microplastics at all sites using µFTIR imaging, demonstrating that atmospheric deposition carries plastic particles across both urban and more rural areas of the city.

2023
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric microplastics in the Arctic Region: An examination of deposited and suspended atmospheric microplastics in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard

Researchers measured atmospheric microplastic deposition and suspension in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, finding microplastics in both deposited and airborne samples from this remote High Arctic location and characterizing dominant polymer types and potential source regions.

2024
Article Tier 2

First evidence of airborne microplastics in the sub-Antarctic Beagle Channel: Detection and characterization by infrared and Raman microspectroscopies

Researchers conducted the first study of airborne microplastics in the sub-Antarctic Beagle Channel using passive samplers deployed over 18 months on an uninhabited island near Ushuaia, Argentina, with characterisation by FTIR and Raman microspectroscopies. Fibers dominated at over 80% of particles, with polyamide, polyester, polyethylene, and semi-synthetic cotton identified, demonstrating that atmospheric microplastic deposition reaches remote sub-Antarctic environments.

2025 Chemosphere
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastics pollution and its remediation methods: Current scenario and future aspects

Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in atmospheric deposition at remote mountain sites in the Pyrenees, detecting an average of 365 particles per square meter per day. The findings confirm long-range atmospheric transport of microplastics far from pollution sources.

2022 Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science 13 citations
Article Tier 2

The transport and fate of microplastic fibres in the Antarctic: The role of multiple global processes

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination across air, seawater, and sediment samples in the Antarctic Weddell Sea and identified 47 distinct microplastic categories, predominantly fibers. The overlap of fiber types across different sample media suggests that microplastics reach Antarctica through multiple transportation pathways, including atmospheric and oceanic currents. The study demonstrates that even one of the most remote regions on Earth is affected by diffuse microplastic pollution from global sources.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 60 citations
Article Tier 2

White and wonderful? Microplastics prevail in snow from the Alps to the Arctic

Microplastics were detected in 20 of 21 snow samples ranging from Arctic sea ice to Alpine and German urban environments, with concentrations significantly higher in European snow (up to 154,000 particles/L) than Arctic snow, and varnish, rubber, polyethylene, and polyamide as dominant polymers. The study confirms atmospheric transport as a major pathway for delivering microplastics to remote Arctic environments.

2019 Science Advances 1328 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Himalayan Glaciers: A Comprehensive Study of recent findings on characteristics and potential source

Researchers collected surface snow samples from western and central Himalayan glaciers to assess microplastic contamination, identifying polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene particles predominantly smaller than 100 micrometers. Air mass trajectory analysis indicated that the microplastics are transported to these remote glaciers through long-range atmospheric pathways. The study raises concerns about the environmental integrity of Himalayan freshwater reserves and the potential impact of microplastic accumulation on glacier health.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary investigations on microplastic and microfiber pollution in NW Italian Alps glaciers

Researchers conducted preliminary investigations of microplastic and microfiber pollution at four glaciers in the NW Italian Alps, finding that atmospheric transport delivers these micropollutants even to remote high-altitude environments far from urban sources.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Airborne Microplastic in the Atmospheric Deposition and How to Identify and Quantify the Threat: Semi-Quantitative Approach Based on Kraków Case Study

Researchers developed semi-quantitative methods using ATR-FTIR, Py-GC-MS, and SEM-EDS to identify and characterize airborne microplastics in atmospheric deposition in Krakow, identifying multiple polymer types and tracking their seasonal variation.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Microplastics in Snow in the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China

Researchers collected and analyzed snow samples from the Inner Mongolia Plateau in China, finding microplastics in every sample at concentrations up to 199 particles per liter — with plastic fibers being the most common type. The presence of microplastics in remote snowfields also altered the local microbial communities in the snow, suggesting airborne microplastics are reaching and disrupting ecosystems far from human activity.

2023 Engineering 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in mountain terrains and foothills: A review on source, extraction, and distribution of microplastics in remote areas

This review examines microplastic pollution in mountain terrains and foothills, finding that atmospheric transport and tourism are major sources, with snow samples containing the highest concentrations compared to streams or ice cores.

2021 Environmental Research 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Fibers spreading worldwide: Microplastics and other anthropogenic litter in an Arctic freshwater lake

Microplastics and other anthropogenic fibers were found in the sediments of an Arctic freshwater lake at Ny-Alesund in Svalbard, with polyester fibers confirmed by synchrotron infrared spectroscopy at concentrations of about 90 microplastics per square meter of rock surface. The findings demonstrate that plastic fiber pollution reaches even remote polar lakes, most likely transported by atmosphere.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 189 citations
Article Tier 2

Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regions

Researchers collected snow samples from urban Toronto, remote regions of the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and the unpopulated high Arctic to track atmospheric transport of microplastics. They found anthropogenic particles, including microplastics and microfibers, present in snow across all locations, with concentrations decreasing from urban to Arctic areas. The study provides evidence that microplastics are transported long distances through the atmosphere and deposited even in the most remote regions of the planet.

2024 Arctic Science 11 citations
Article Tier 2

A first assessment of microplastic contamination in the snow of Ankara, Turkey

Fresh snow samples from three areas of Ankara, Turkey all contained microplastics, averaging about 60 particles per liter, with polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene as the most common polymer types. Fragments dominated, but the variety of small particle shapes suggested long-range atmospheric transport and fragmentation during transit. The study adds Turkey to the growing list of countries where snow — an atmospheric archive — reveals that microplastics are being dispersed globally through the air.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in atmospheric dust samples of Sistan: sources and distribution

Researchers collected atmospheric dust samples from residential and non-residential stations in Sistan, eastern Iran, selected according to wind direction and population density, and analyzed airborne microplastic characteristics using optical microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. They found that microplastic concentrations ranged from 6 to 11 particles per cubic meter, with distribution patterns reflecting both local sources and long-range wind-driven transport in this dust-prone region.

2022 Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Snow from Western Italian Alps

Researchers sampled residual snow from four locations in the Western Italian Alps and confirmed the presence of microplastics at concentrations averaging 2.32 particles per liter. The study found polyethylene was the most common polymer, and the results suggest that microplastics reach remote mountain environments through atmospheric deposition and local human activities.

2021 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 99 citations