<
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/28/japanese-scientists-find-microplastics-are-present-in-clouds>
"Researchers in Japan have confirmed that microplastics are present in clouds,
where they are likely affecting the climate in ways that are not yet fully
understood.
In a study published in the journal
Environmental Chemistry Letters, Japanese
scientists climbed Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama in order to collect water from
the mists that shroud the peaks, then applied advanced imaging techniques to
the samples to determine their physical and chemical properties.
The team identified nine different types of polymers and one type of rubber in
the airborne microplastics, which ranged in size from 7.1 to 94.6 micrometres.
Each litre (0.26 gallon) of cloud water tested contained between 6.7 to 13.9
pieces of the plastics.
“If the issue of ‘plastic air pollution’ is not addressed proactively, climate
change and ecological risks may become a reality, causing irreversible and
serious environmental damage in the future,” lead author of the research,
Hiroshi Okochi of Waseda University, warned in a statement on Wednesday.
When microplastics reach the upper atmosphere and are exposed to ultraviolet
radiation from sunlight, they degrade, contributing to greenhouse gasses,
Okochi said."
Via Kenny Chaffin.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
