Scientists from Shandong University discovered that microplastic particles in the air can affect the weather. The research was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters.
The publication’s authors collected 28 liquid samples from clouds atop Taishan Mountain in eastern China. The analysis showed that lower, denser clouds contained more microplastics. The particles in the clouds gained a rougher surface under the influence of light and moisture. As a result, it contained more lead, mercury and oxygen, and the roughness may have contributed to the thickening of the clouds, according to the researchers. This means microplastic particles change the weather by stimulating cloud formation. However, more research will be needed to prove this.
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than five millimeters in size. They enter the environment through clothing, plastic packaging and car tires. In the study, particles ranging in size from 100 to 1500 microns consisted of polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene and polyamide. Computer modeling showed that most of the microplastics in the air over the mountains originated in China’s densely populated interior regions, rather than being brought in from abroad.
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