2023-09-27 13:01:46
The study focused on clouds around Mount Fuji – WIKIMEDIA
MADRID, 27 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Japanese researchers have explored the pathway of airborne microplastics (AMPs) as they circulate through the biosphere, which negatively affects human health and the climate.
To investigate the role of these tiny plastic particles in the troposphere and atmospheric boundary layer, The team collected water from the clouds at the summit of the famous Mount Fuji, the southeastern foothills of Mount Fuji (Tarobo) and the summit of Mount Oyama: regions with altitudes ranging from 1,300 to 3,776 meters.
Using advanced techniques such as attenuated total reflection imaging and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, researchers led by Hiroshi Okochi, a professor at Waseda University, determined the presence of microplastics in cloud water and examined their physical and chemical properties.
They identified nine different types of polymers and one type of rubber in the detected AMPs. In particular, most of the polypropylene detected in the samples was degraded and had carbonyl (C=O) and/or hydroxyl (OH) groups. The Feret diameters of these AMPs ranged from 7.1 to 94.6 picometers, the smallest observed in the free troposphere. Furthermore, the presence of hydrophilic (water-loving) polymers in the cloud water was abundant, suggesting that they were removed as “cloud condensation nuclei.” These findings confirm that AMPs play a key role in the rapid formation of clouds, which can eventually affect the overall climate.
The accumulation of AMP in the atmosphere, especially in the polar regions, could cause significant changes in the ecological balance of the planetcausing a serious loss of biodiversity.
Okochi concludes by saying it’s a statement that “AMPs degrade much faster in the upper atmosphere than on Earth due to strong ultraviolet radiation, and this degradation releases greenhouse gases and contributes to global warming. As a result, the findings of this study can be used to have take into account the effects of MPAs on future projections of global warming”.
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