Up in the air: Study finds microplastics in high-altitude cloud water

Source: https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/up-in-the-air-study-finds-microplastics-in-high-altitude-cloud-water/

Author: Elizabeth Claire Alberts

The more we learn about plastic, the more we find it everywhere. Research has shown that tiny microplastic particles litter the world’s oceans and rivers, from the Arctic and Antarctic. Microplastics are in the soils where fruits and vegetables grow. They’re found in the internal organs of wildlife. Scientists have even detected plastic in human blood, brains and placentas. A growing body of research has also shown that microplastics — particles less than 5 millimeters, or about 0.2 inches, in size — are being blown up into the atmosphere by wind and sea spray, then falling from the sky in rain. So it would only make sense that plastic is also present in clouds.