Microplastics have been found in clouds, where they are likely influencing the climate in ways that are not yet fully understood.
In a study published in Environmental Chemistry Letters, scientists hiked Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama to collect water from the mists that shroud their peaks, then used advanced imaging techniques to evaluate the physical and chemical features of the samples.
The researchers discovered nine distinct polymers and one type of rubber in the airborne microplastics, which ranged in size from 7.1 to 94.6 micrometers.
Each liter of cloud water contained between 6.7 and 13.9 plastic particles.
Furthermore, hydrophilic or water-loving polymers were plentiful, implying that the particles play an important role in rapid cloud formation and, by extension, climate systems.
“If the issue of ‘plastic air pollution’ is not addressed proactively, climate change and ecological risks may become a reality, causing irreversible and serious environmental damage in the future”, said Waseda University lead author Hiroshi Okochi in a statement Wednesday.
Microplastics break down when they reach the upper atmosphere and are exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunshine, leading to greenhouse gas emissions, according to Okochi.
Microplastics, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters, are found in industrial effluent, textiles, synthetic automobile tires, personal care items, and many other places.
These microscopic particles were detected inside fish at the deepest depths of the ocean, peppering Arctic sea ice and blanketing the snow on the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain.
The mechanics of their movement, however, have remained unknown, with research on airborne microplastic transport in particular being sparse.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on airborne microplastics in cloud water”, the paper’s authors stated.
Microplastics have been connected to a variety of effects on heart and lung health, as well as malignancies, in addition to significant environmental devastation.
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