Microscopically visible plastic particles are now found in clouds, according to a new study, resulting in a ‘plastic rain“It’s happening.
Scientists fear that plastic particles smaller than five millimeters which Microplastics It is said that everything we eat can be contaminated.
These very small particles of plastic pollution are a result of the abundance of , which is present in large quantities in our land and oceans Plastic-containing waste breaks down into smaller particles over time. This waste is transferred to the atmosphere, human body and other organisms.
According to past research, these plastic particles are causing diseases including cancer, infertility and hormonal problems.
Research from Japan’s Waseda University has examined for the first time how tiny plastic particles affect cloud formation and their potential impact on environmental crises and human health.
Researchers believe they have detected, for the first time, ultra-small plastic particles reaching cloud water through the air.
Co-author of the study, Hiroshi Okouchi, says that if “the problem of air pollution caused by plastics is not proactively addressed, climate change and environmental threats may become a reality, leading to irreversible and Serious environmental damage can occur.’
In this study, researchers analyzed cloud water collected at altitudes between 1,300 and 3,776 meters above the summit of Mount Fuji in the southeastern foothills of Mount Fuji (Tarobu) and the summit of Mount Aoyama in Japan.
Scientists used advanced imaging techniques to determine the presence of airborne microplastics (AMP) in cloud water and examined their physical and chemical properties.
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The team discovered nine different types of molecules and one type of rubber in airborne particles.
The analysis showed that airborne microplastics in cloud water came mainly from the ocean, the researchers said.
‘This means that microplastics have become an integral part of clouds, contaminating almost everything we eat and drink through ‘plastic rain’,’ the scientists explain.
He warned that the accumulation of microscopic plastic particles in the atmosphere, especially at the poles, could also significantly alter the Earth’s ecological balance and cause ‘severe damage to biodiversity’.
Dr. Okochi said that due to powerful ultraviolet rays, airborne microplastics break down much faster in the upper atmosphere than on the ground, and their breakdown releases greenhouse gases and global warming. The temperature rises.
According to him: ‘Consequently the results of this study can be used to calculate the impact of (microplastics) in future global warming projections.’
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