Glen’s take · Why we chose this story
Primary source futura-sciences.com
Open the original on futura-sciences.comIn short the story, from futura-sciences.com
Using an innovative method capable of detecting plastic particles as small as 200 nanometers, Chinese researchers from the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have succeeded in quantifying the amount of airborne microplastics and nanoplastics in two Chinese megacities, Guangzhou and Xi’an. Source · futura-sciences.com
The read Glen’s take, in his words
Here's a story that doesn't get the attention it deserves. Researchers reporting in Futura-Sciences documented that the concentration of microplastics in urban air is dramatically higher than anyone had estimated — by orders of magnitude.
Here's why that matters for water. The particles don't just hang in the air. They come back down in rain and snow. Which means urban watersheds — the sources your city's drinking water is drawn from — are being contaminated through atmospheric deposition.
We tend to think of air pollution and water pollution as separate problems. They're not. This research shows they're the same plume, just measured at different points.
I wanted you to see this.
Questions answered from this page
What is this story about?
Using an innovative method capable of detecting plastic particles as small as 200 nanometers, Chinese researchers from the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have succeeded in quantifying the amount of airborne microplastics and nanoplastics in two Chinese megacities, Guangzhou and Xi’an.
Why did Glen Kerby choose this story?
You're not just drinking it — you're breathing it. Microplastics are now in the air of every major city at concentrations that were supposed to be impossible. This is what happens when ocean plastic reaches its final form.
Where can I read the original?
It was published by futura-sciences.com as “Shocking: Microplastics in Big-City Air Are Dozens of Times More Abundant Than Expected”, at https://www.futura-sciences.com/en/shocking-microplastics-in-big-city-air-are-dozens-of-times-more-abundant-than-expected_24490/.
Go to the source their work, in full
“Shocking: Microplastics in Big-City Air Are Dozens of Times More Abundant Than Expected”
Published by futura-sciences.com. Read it where it was reported.
