Microparticles are found in mountains nearly 4000 m high
Plastic is now everywhere, and this is no exaggeration. Japanese scientists have proven that plastic rain contaminates everything we eat and drink, reaching even the cleanest corners of the planet and changing the climate, the Independent reported.
The clouds already contain plastic
The particles are microscopic and cause the so-called plastic rain, claims new research from Japan’s Waseda University. Scientists fear that persistent particles smaller than 5mm – known as microplastics – are capable of ending up in almost everything people consume. They are even found in the highest mountain in Japan, Fuji, whose peak is almost 4000 meters.
Microplastics are the result of the saturation of plastic pollution that is choking our lands and oceans. Plastic waste breaks down into smaller pieces over time and finds its way into the atmosphere, human bodies and species. Previous research has linked these particles to cancer, infertility and hormone disruption.
The new research assesses for the first time how microplastics affect cloud formation and the potential impact on the climate crisis and our health.
Cloud water was collected from the peaks of two Japanese mountains at an altitude between 1300-3776 meters. Scientists use advanced techniques and
they find nine the type of polymers and a type of rubber
in the air microplastic. The plastics are hydrophobic but become hydrophilic (water-loving) after prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light, the authors explain. “High-altitude microplastics can affect cloud formation and in turn change the climate,” the scientists wrote. Road dust, landfills, tire wear and artificial turf are potential terrestrial entry points for the plastic. The ocean can also send its microplastics skyward through sea spray and other aerosolization processes — where the particles become light enough to become airborne.
2023-09-30 20:30:00
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