loading…
Clouds Have Been Polluted with Microplastics. PHOTO/ IFL SCIENCE
TOKYO – A research team in Japan has confirmed the presence of microplastics in clouds and it is feared they could affect the climate in ways that are not yet fully understood.
In a study published in Environmental Chemistry Letters, scientists climbed Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama to collect water from the mist that shrouded their peaks.
The team then used advanced imaging techniques on the samples to determine their physical and chemical properties.
Scientists reportedly identified nine types of polymers and one type of rubber in airborne microplastics ranging in size from 7.1 to 94.6 micrometers.
Each liter of cloud water contains between 6.7 and 13.9 pieces of plastic.
Water-loving hydrophilic polymers are the most abundant, suggesting that these particles play an important role in the rapid formation of clouds in Earth’s climate system.
“If the problem of plastic air pollution is not addressed proactively, the risks of climate and ecological change could become a reality. This will cause serious and irreversible environmental damage in the future.”
“When microplastics reach the upper atmosphere and are exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, they decompose and contribute to greenhouse gases,” said lead author Hiroshi Okochi from Waseda University as reported by AFP, Friday (29/9/2023).
Microplastics are defined as plastic particles measuring less than 5 millimeters that come from industrial waste, textiles, synthetic car tires, personal care products, and others.