Microplastics in air could be much less than previous estimates: Study

A new study has allayed fears of microplastics intrusion, claiming that the problem is not as dire as previously thought. Researchers from the University of Vienna say that microplastic emissions are up to 10,000 times lower than the estimates made by various studies. The latest analysis was carried out differently from previous studies, most of which used models based on human activity or data from one region. Vienna scientists took 2,782 measurements of microplastic concentrations from 283 locations between 2014 and 2024. The new figures were compared with existing models to estimate the world's microplastic footprint. The findings were published in the journal Nature. The revelations were different on various levels. For example, the scientists noted that land sources add 20 times more microplastic particles to the air than the seas. This means that about six hundred quadrillion particles of microplastics get added to the air from land per year. The study was published in the journal Nature. “Our model simulations show two to four orders of magnitude overestimation of the measured global median atmospheric MP concentrations,” the authors wrote.

Localised microplastic emission starkly varies

The researchers noted that they went global and took measurements from various places instead of relying on data from one place. When they did this, they found that microplastic concentrations in the atmosphere varied from place to place. In fact, the difference in localised measurements varied immensely. On the southeast coast of China, measurements ranged from just 0.004 particles per metre cubed to 190 particles per metre cubed. The rate at which microplastics are added to the atmosphere was also different in different regions. In some of China's biggest cities, just 50 particles per square metre per day of emissions were found. However, in the urban locations of the UK, up to 3,100 particles were recorded.

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Significantly less microplastics present in air

Scientists say estimating how many microplastic particles are emitted into the atmosphere each year becomes hard when there are such huge differences in localised data. Using new models, they concluded that six hundred and ten quadrillion particles are released from land and twenty–six quadrillion from oceans every year. Lead author Dr Ionna Evangelou said that the team found they have reached a new total estimate that is between 100 and 10,000 times lower than earlier suggestions. However, this does not mean that humans can get complacent about them, as microplastics are still a major hazard to human health. Lower numbers do not mean less harm as "health impacts also depend on the particle size, shape, the additives or attached pollutants, and, of course, the exposure duration."