Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Local urban activity, Covid lockdown, and atmospheric microplastic deposition

This study examined how COVID-19 lockdowns affected microplastic deposition from the atmosphere in an urban area. Reduced human activity during lockdown was associated with decreased atmospheric microplastic concentrations. The findings confirm that local sources — particularly vehicle traffic, industrial activity, and human movement — are significant contributors to urban airborne microplastics.

2023 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal distribution and potential sources of atmospheric microplastic deposition in a semiarid urban environment of Northwest China

Atmospheric microplastic deposition in a semiarid urban environment in northwest China ranged from 79.5 to 810.0 particles per square meter per day, with peak deposition in summer, fibres and fragments dominating, and source analysis pointing to local plastic products and waste as primary contributors.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 25 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

Atmospheric deposition is an important pathway for inputting microplastics: Insight into the spatiotemporal distribution and deposition flux in a mega city

Researchers monitored microplastic fallout from the atmosphere in the Chinese megacity of Wuhan over an entire year and found an average of about 83 particles landing per square meter per day. The highest concentrations fell in spring, with city centers receiving more than suburbs, and most particles were tiny fibers from textiles. This study shows that simply breathing outdoor air and living in a city exposes people to a constant rain of microplastic particles.

2023 Environmental Pollution 31 citations
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

An important source of terrestrial microplastics‐atmospheric deposition: A microplastics survey based on Shaanxi, China

A six-month atmospheric sampling campaign across ten cities in Shaanxi Province, China detected microplastics in all air deposition samples, including both wet (rain/snow) and dry deposition. The most abundant polymer types were PET, polyacrylonitrile, PE, and PP — consistent with textiles and packaging as key sources — and concentrations were highest in the provincial capital Xi'an, correlating with urban population density. The study confirms that atmospheric fallout is a significant and widespread route by which microplastics enter terrestrial environments far from any obvious plastic source.

2024 Land Degradation and Development 2 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

Atmospheric microplastic deposition in a valley city over a five-year period: sources, ecological risks, spatiotemporal distributions and influencing factors

A five-year (2019–2023) monitoring study in a valley city found rising atmospheric microplastic deposition, with summer peaks over four times higher than winter lows, strongly influenced by precipitation, wind, temperature, and urban activity levels. Long-term data showing increasing airborne microplastic trends have direct implications for inhalation exposure in urban populations.

2026 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Article Tier 2

Sources and distribution of atmospheric microplastics in Northwest China river valleys via land use

This study quantified suspended atmospheric microplastics across eight land use types in Lanzhou, northwest China, finding a mean abundance of 4.5 particles/m³ with peaks in industrial and residential areas. Land use type was the strongest predictor of MP concentration, highlighting urban and agricultural activities as key emission drivers.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
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

Regional and climatic variations in atmospheric microplastic deposition: A study throughout Iran

Dry deposition of atmospheric microplastics was measured simultaneously across nine Iranian cities with different climates and populations over one week, finding deposition rates from 5 to over 100 particles/m²/day, with population density and wind conditions as key drivers.

2025 Environmental Technology & Innovation 2 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

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics at a western China metropolis: Relationship with underlying surface types and human exposure

Researchers measured microplastic fallout from the atmosphere in Chengdu, China, and found that the type of ground surface below -- urban, green space, or mixed -- influenced how much airborne microplastic accumulated. Using a probability model, they estimated that people are exposed to significant amounts of airborne microplastics during outdoor activities, adding to the growing evidence that we inhale these particles daily.

2024 Environmental Pollution 20 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

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.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics in shiraz, iran

Researchers measured atmospheric microplastic deposition during successive dry and rainy events over eight consecutive days at six sites in and around Shiraz, Iran, including a remote non-urbanised location. The study found that microplastic abundance and deposition flux increased progressively during dry periods and was similar across urban and remote sites, suggesting widespread atmospheric transport and redistribution of microplastics via rainfall scavenging.

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

First quantification and chemical characterization of atmospheric microplastics observed in Seoul, South Korea

Researchers conducted the first measurement of airborne microplastics across five outdoor sites in Seoul, South Korea, finding plastic particles everywhere from business districts to urban forests. Microplastic levels were higher in areas with more human activity and during weekdays versus weekends. Polypropylene and PET were the most common types, suggesting that everyday plastic products are a major source of airborne microplastic pollution in cities.

2023 Environmental Pollution 52 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

Atmospheric deposition of microplastics in a rural region of North China Plain

Researchers investigated atmospheric microplastic deposition in a rural area of the North China Plain, finding significant quantities of microplastics deposited through both dry and wet pathways, with fibers and polyethylene being the dominant types.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Regional and climatic variations in atmospheric microplastic deposition

Researchers simultaneously quantified atmospheric dry deposition of microplastics across nine Iranian cities with different climates over a seven-day period, finding deposition rates ranging from under 5 to over 100 MP/m²/hr dominated by fibres of polyethylene, PET, polypropylene, polystyrene, and nylon, with significant regional and climatic variation.

2025
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric microplastics in rainfalls in the megacity of Hangzhou: Morphology, composition, and deposition flux

Microplastics in rainfall across Hangzhou, China were found in all wet deposition samples, with fibers dominating, and deposition flux correlated with rainfall intensity and industrial activity patterns — highlighting urban wet deposition as a significant microplastic transport pathway.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the impact of local human activity on microplastic atmospheric deposition

This paper studied the impact of local human activity on microplastic atmospheric deposition. Unfortunately, no abstract is available to provide further details about the findings. The title suggests it examines how human activities contribute to the microplastics that fall from the air, which is relevant because airborne microplastics are one pathway of human exposure through breathing.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Spatial distribution, source apportionment and potential ecological risk assessment of suspended atmosphere microplastics in different underlying surfaces in Harbin

Researchers investigated the spatial distribution and sources of airborne microplastics suspended in the atmosphere across six different land-use types in Harbin, China. They found microplastics present above all surfaces, with polypropylene, PET, and polyethylene being the most common types. The study used source analysis to trace the contamination to local activities and assessed the potential ecological risk of breathing in these suspended particles.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric transport and deposition of microplastics in a subtropical urban environment

Researchers measured atmospheric wet and dry deposition of microplastics over one year in Guangzhou, China, a subtropical megacity. They found deposition fluxes ranging from 51 to 178 particles per square meter per day, with fibers, fragments, films, and microbeads all detected, indicating that atmospheric transport is a significant pathway for microplastic distribution in urban environments.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 265 citations