Following Fine Dust, the Assault of 'Plastic Dust'

Due to the influence of yellow dust, the cityscape viewed from Inwangsan in Seoul appeared hazy on the 12th, when fine dust levels were forecasted to be poor. The Korea Meteorological Administration stated, "Fine dust is expected to be at a 'poor' level in the metropolitan area and 'moderate' in other regions." They added, "However, in the afternoon, the metropolitan area is expected to temporarily reach a 'very poor' level, and other regions are expected to temporarily reach a 'poor' level." Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] Research has revealed that tiny microplastics, as small as grains of sand, can travel thousands of kilometers carried by wind, snow, or rain. It has been pointed out that microplastics can have serious impacts not only on marine ecosystems but also on terrestrial ecosystems.

A research team from the University of Utah in the United States announced on the 12th (local time) the results of their study, which involved collecting rainwater and air samples over the past 14 months. The researchers estimated that over 1,000 tons of microplastic particles fall annually in 11 protected areas in the western United States?an amount exceeding 120 million PET bottles. Microplastics were found in 98% of the 339 samples collected. They also explained that 4% of the captured atmospheric particles were microplastics.

On the 29th, fog covered the Seoul metropolitan area and the west coast, as the sun rose beyond Namsan N Tower in Seoul. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

The research team collected samples distinguishing between conditions of snow or rain and dry seasons. They found that the plastic particles carried by snow or rain are larger than the plastics dispersed by atmospheric circulation during dry seasons.

From this, they concluded that plastics carried by snow or rain are transported by storms originating in urban centers and spread to surrounding areas. Meanwhile, the small and light plastics transported during dry seasons are related to global atmospheric circulation activities and have a very wide range of movement. According to this study, 75% of the measured microplastics came from samples collected during the dry season.

The New York Times described this study as one that not only confirms the presence of microplastics in the atmosphere, which has been occasionally discovered before, but also explains why and how they move. It further commented that the study suggests the possibility that "plastic rain" could actually exist.

The science media outlet Wired reported that although research on how inhaling microplastics affects human health has not yet been conducted, it is reasonable to assume it is not beneficial. While it may not cause severe situations like blocking the digestive tracts of tiny animals such as insects, it could certainly have an impact.

Regarding this, the research team stated that the movement of microplastics could alter how soil absorbs and stores heat, which may inhibit the growth of microorganisms living there or disrupt the ecosystem.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.