Not only are the oceans and our bodies full of microplastics, they are also now floating in the clouds. Researchers fear that if we don’t combat plastic air pollution, the Earth’s temperature will rise faster.
Japanese researchers in Waseda University The water was captured from clouds at the top of Fuji, Tarobo and Aoyama mountains – approximately 1,300 to 4,000 meters in height (see box). When examining this cloud water, they found nine different types of microplastics and one type of rubber.
Aleppo clouds
To collect microplastics from clouds, scientists used a collection system in which cloud particles very slowly collide with a small string. When moist air hits this, water binds to the thread for a short time. The water from the cloud quickly collapses under its own weight and falls where it is collected. “The microplastics that are just blown into the air, and not part of the cloud, are too small for the collecting wire, and pass through the wire,” Okochi says.
This in itself is not entirely unexpected, says lead researcher Hiroshi Okuchi. After all, we know that humans and animals now consume large amounts of microplastics. So it’s not surprising that withdrawals come into play as well. But the way microplastics end up in the clouds is… The researchers say the collected microplastics likely did not just arrive, but are part of the cloud formation process.
Cloud maker
Before a cloud can form, a condensation nuclei is needed: very fine dust particles floating in the air that cold, moist air can attach to, which then forms clouds, fog, or haze. There are many materials that can act as condensation nuclei. Natural particles such as clay, sand, pollen or salt crystals. But abnormal materials such as soot can also begin to form the cloud. It now appears that this also includes microplastics.
This is not a good sign. Microplastics decompose much faster when in the air than on the ground. This is due to strong ultraviolet rays at higher altitudes. As they decompose, greenhouse gases are released, which in turn contribute to global warming. In addition, plastic waste can contaminate almost everything we eat and drink. This, in turn, could lead to more plastic in our organs, and possibly behavioral changes.
Okochi therefore fears that if the problem of “plastic air pollution” is not addressed proactively, plastic particles in clouds could cause serious and irreversible environmental damage in the future. To better estimate this, more research will be conducted. “We will now investigate how quickly microplastics cause cloud formation compared to other particles.”
