The impact of micro- and nanoplastics in the natural environment is a subject that remains largely unresearched. In a recent study, microplastics were detected in the lungs of living humans in 11 out of 13 analysed cases. How does it get there? Plastic degrades over decades, sometimes centuries, when discarded into the environment. However, it does not disappear, but fragments into increasingly smaller particles: these micro- and nanoparticles, which are invisible to the naked eye, persist in the environment and are dispersed through the air. Up to 25 million tonnes of micro- and nanoplastics are currently estimated to enter the atmosphere annually, transported by humid air, snow, sea spray or fog over thousands of kilometres across countries, continents and oceans. This is the finding of another study. Particles such as tyre and brake wear debris, as well as emissions from industrial processes, are transported globally by wind much faster than microclassics migrate through aquatic pathways. This is problematic because atmospheric currents reach even the most remote regions, including the Arctic and Antarctic. The researchers hypothesise that these particles may also influence the climate, acceleration global climate change. Melanie Bergmann, one of the lead authors of the study, explains: "We must integrate micro- and nanoplastics into our air quality monitoring, ideally internationally as part of global networks." Sources: Allen et al. (2022): Microplastics and nanoplastics in marine-atmosphere environments. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00292-x Jenner et al. (2022): Detection of microplastics in human lung tissue using μFTIR spectroscopy. Science of the Total Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154907
