Millions of small pieces of plastic turn in Earthatmosphere and travel across continents, according to a new study. It is likely that this environmental problem will get much worse and that it could have a serious impact on human health.
Microplastics are less than 5 millimeters long, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). And previous studies have shown that these microscopic particles can be found in the sea, bottled water and even our butt, but so far the atmospheric part of this ‘plastic cycle’ has been poorly understood.
The new study revealed thousands of tons of microplastics already in the atmosphere, with roads as the biggest contributor. Computer modeling has also revealed how particles travel long distances around the world, and has shown that nowhere is safe for pollution.
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The researchers said their findings highlight that microplastics are one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.
“Microplastics have the ability to disrupt almost every ecosystem, not to mention human health,” lead author Janice Brahney, an environmental scientist at Utah State University, told WordsSideKick. “We are actually just beginning to understand the extent of the pollution, but no matter what the consequences are.”
As for the importance, the matter is right there climate change and is somewhat intertwined with it, “since plastic is a product of fossil fuels,” Brahney said.
Entering the atmosphere
To find out how microplastics are transported to and across the atmosphere, Brahney and her colleagues measured the precipitation of particles from the air due to gravity and rain in places in the western United States over a period of 14 months. Based on their findings, they estimated that approximately 1,100 tons (1,000 tons) of microplastics are in the atmosphere above the western United States.
The team was “absolutely shocked” about the levels of microplastics they found, Brahney said.
The researchers predicted that cities would be the largest source of microplastic pollution in the atmosphere, but the analysis of the plastic showed that roads were the biggest culprit, accounting for 84% of atmospheric microplastics.
“When you think plastic, like dust, has to penetrate the atmosphere through physical force, it makes more sense,” Brahney said. “Roads – and, more importantly, cars driving on roads – provide the mechanical energy to move particles into the atmosphere.”
Other sources include the oceans (11%) and agricultural raw materials (5%), with strong winds pushing particles into the air. However, the researchers suspect that all three of these sources are likely to contribute to different levels of pollution in other parts of the world.
Around the planet
Using the data they collected, the researchers created computer models to find out how microplastics are transported across the planet and which areas are likely to be hotspots for the highest levels of microplastics, such as Europe, East Asia, the Middle East , India and the United States. State.
“The atmosphere is one of the reasons microplastics are so widespread,” Brahney said. “It has the potential to transport plastic to different places, across continents and to remote places that would otherwise be untouched by human pollution.”
The researchers discovered that the plastic particles can stay in the air for between one hour and 6.5 days. That upper limit is enough time for transportation across the continent, which means that even places like Antarctica is dangerous for pollution, although there are no direct plastic sources.
“No one is protected from this source of pollution,” Brahney said. “We can send our rubbish to other countries, but it will only haunt us again.”
Next steps
The issue of microplastics in the atmosphere could probably get worse as well.
“Plastic needs time to break down into the small fragments we see in the atmosphere,” Brahney said. “Since we do not have efficient means of dealing with plastic waste, and the problem has been compounded, it could be that more plastic will end up in our environment in the future and therefore also in our atmosphere.”
Another important research path, Brahney said, is to find out how plastic in the air can affect human health.
“Inhaling any particle can have negative health consequences,” Brahney said. “But at the moment we do not know if plastic is more or less harmful than other natural aerosols.”
The study was published in the journal on April 12 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Originally published on Live Science.