Now, scientists have reason to believe that airborne microscopic particles could even be contributing to the warming of our planet. It begs the question: how worried should we be?
Once in the air, they can impact the atmosphere in different ways. “Particles in the air can affect the air in two ways,” says Fay Couceiro, professor of environmental pollution at the University of Portsmouth. “They either reflect the sunlight back out to space so it doesn't heat so it cools the surface, so it doesn't heat the planet, or they absorb it, and then they warm the air around them, and it does warm the planet.”
What is the climate impact of microplastics?
One thing is clear: the scale is nowhere near greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide or methane. “They are, in reality, a very, very tiny fraction of the contaminants that we have within our air,” says Ian Mudway, associate professor of environmental toxicology at Imperial College London’s School of Public Health, who was not involved in the Nature study.
“Do I think we should be concerned? Yes. Do I think we should be in panic mode? No,” says Couceiro, who wasn’t part of the new study. “We don't have enough evidence to suggest we need to get rid of everything that's plastic on the whole planet. But… I think we should be concerned, and we should be looking to limit our exposure and prevent the exposure from getting any worse.”
What we do know isn’t promising. Human cell culture studies have revealed that high concentrations of microplastics in cells can cause anything from inflammation to endocrine disruption. One study Couceiro worked on examined the impact of microplastics on algae, and found the presence of microplastics led to major ecosystem disruptions. “There’s reduced growth [of the algae], and that has a knock on effect for all of the animals that need to feed on it,” she says. “So you have impacts on their food source, but you also have impacts on them directly. If the animal ingests it, for example, it can block their gut, it can get in their gills and make it harder for them to breathe, or the chemicals in them leaching out that cause problems with their hormones and infertility.”
How do you get rid of airborne microplastics?
Completely eliminating microplastics from the atmosphere is currently impossible. “Even if we stop producing [plastics] there will still be more buildup in the environment for some time,” says Couceiro.
Couceiro recommends considering ways you can reduce the amount of plastic in your life. “Reducing the amount of plastic that we have in our homes will reduce the amount [of microplastic] we breathe in,” she says. “We need to approach it sensibly, but there's enough evidence of harm that we should be concerned.”
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