atmospheric plastic

Millions of tonnes of plastic discarded into the environment every year break down into small particles that do not biodegrade.  These particles are known as microplastics.

Research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, collected data from 26 previous studies that measure the amounts of microplastic particles in the air, fish, shellfish, sugar, salt and water.
Using US government dietary guidelines, the scientists calculated that people eat about 50,000 microplastic particles a year.

The latest study led by Dr Melanie Bergmann of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany published in the journal Science Advances, Aug 2019 cites a study on the assessment of microplastic in human lungs. Inhaled fibres were present in cancerous lung specimens.
“These bioresistant and biopersistent plastic fibres are candidate agents contributing to the risk of lung cancer.”

Scientists in the Pyrenees Mountains in southern France recorded a daily rate of 365 microplastic particles per square metre descending from the sky in 2019, even though there were no obvious sources for the microplastics within 100km.

Microplastic has become the NEW global pollutant.

For many years, these very small pieces of plastic waste were known to be ubiquitous in waterways and oceans, but recent studies have recognized that they are part of the atmosphere we breathe on a daily basis – everywhere. They can be spotted with UV light at a wavelength of 400 nanometres.  Everywhere.

And the amount is increasing yearly.   Microplastics can even accumulate other pollutants like heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and hydrocarbons.