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Microplastics Are Blowing In the Wind (scientificamerican.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Scientific American: Scientists have detected tiny pieces of plastic falling out of the air like artificial dust. A first-of-its-kind study finds these particles have blown in on the wind from at least 100 kilometers away and likely much farther. This is a clear indication that atmospheric transport is yet another way plastic pollution is being distributed around the planet, even to remote areas. "And it suggests that this is a far bigger problem than we have currently thought about," says study co-author Deonie Allen, of the Ecole Nationale Superieure Agronomique de Toulouse (ENSAT).
The study, published Monday in Nature Geoscience, is one of only a handful that have attempted to measure how much plastic is falling from the atmosphere. It marks the first wave in what is likely to be a flood of such studies in the coming years, in an effort to fill in the picture of how microplastics move around the environment and how humans might be exposed to them. Allen and her colleagues knew microplastics had been found in rivers and sediments in the French Pyrenees, but no one had determined the sources. The bulk could not have come from local sources because of the small human population and limited industrial activity, so Allen was struck by a key question: "Why haven't we looked up?" That is what she and her colleagues did, taking advantage of atmospheric measuring equipment already in place in the Pyrenees and sampling over five months. They found plastic fibers, films and shards, all in a range of sizes. Most of the polymers that turned up in the samples were polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene, which are all common in single-use plastic products such as bags and foam food containers. The study used computer models of atmospheric currents to attempt to backtrace the air that brought the microplastics in the Pyrenees, which is considered a pristine environment. It was clear that the relatively small towns and villages nearby "were unlikely to account for all of the plastic they detected, which suggests the ultimate sources are more distant," reports Scientific American.
The study, published Monday in Nature Geoscience, is one of only a handful that have attempted to measure how much plastic is falling from the atmosphere. It marks the first wave in what is likely to be a flood of such studies in the coming years, in an effort to fill in the picture of how microplastics move around the environment and how humans might be exposed to them. Allen and her colleagues knew microplastics had been found in rivers and sediments in the French Pyrenees, but no one had determined the sources. The bulk could not have come from local sources because of the small human population and limited industrial activity, so Allen was struck by a key question: "Why haven't we looked up?" That is what she and her colleagues did, taking advantage of atmospheric measuring equipment already in place in the Pyrenees and sampling over five months. They found plastic fibers, films and shards, all in a range of sizes. Most of the polymers that turned up in the samples were polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene, which are all common in single-use plastic products such as bags and foam food containers. The study used computer models of atmospheric currents to attempt to backtrace the air that brought the microplastics in the Pyrenees, which is considered a pristine environment. It was clear that the relatively small towns and villages nearby "were unlikely to account for all of the plastic they detected, which suggests the ultimate sources are more distant," reports Scientific American.
There will be life here after we are gone, along the way, people will be miserable.
https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendaEM
We can't just confront, admit the scale and scope of actual problems and talk about solutions without a strong denialist bullshit wave, right? This is our way.
No, not really. At some point the vast bulk of this will get traced to Asia and you'll quietly put away your pitchfork because you can't pin it on 'Murica.
That's why nothing concrete is being done about oceanic plastic beyond some farcical skimming toys; China is the source of 90% of it but you're so wrapped up in "imperialist" shame you can't suffer even the thought of actually doing anything about it.
So no. Fuck you and your self righteous bullshit.
Asia.
For manufacturing all the plastic crap that America consumes?
No sig today...
I live in Northern Europe, and we regularly get wind blown sand from the Sahara, 3000 km away. I expect lightweight microplastics to be carried much further.
Conservatives are some of the most supportive of real, sustainable conservation of the worlds ecosystems. Conservatives are hunters, fishers, and wildlife enthusiasts and actively donate to, and advocate for preservation of ecosystems. What Conservatives don't do is jump at every headline or misstep.
Conservatives necessarily recognize the connections between nature and human survival because Conservatives are dependent upon that. As an example: Conservatives are smart enough to create programs for hunting that involves the taking (killing) of animals while actually strengthening the population of that species in it's environment while the "save EVERY animal" approach of the Liberals results in overpopulation, famine, and ultimately a decimated population of sick animals.
What conservatives don't do is "1 step thinking" like Liberals. Liberals: People are starving: Feed them. Conservatives: People are starving: teach them how to feed themselves. Liberals: Deer are sick and populations are down: Disallow all hunting of deer. Conservatives: Deer are sick and populations are down: Evaluate WHY deer populations are down and take a corrective action, which may include actually hunting more deer, releasing wolfs, etc. Liberals: Gay people have received some criticism: Force people to attend "everyone is a little gay classes". Conservatives: Gay people have received some criticism: Lets not make a mountain out of a mole hill, every type of people, including conservatives, get criticized. See how well Liberal policies work at achieving the intended goal? Not well. While Conservative approaches to wildlife management have been wildly successful.