Airborne transboundary microplastics-A Swirl around the globe

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Atmospheric Chemistry
• Pollution Studies

Background:

• Microplastics are well-documented pollutants in aquatic and terrestrial environments.
• Research on microplastics in the atmosphere is emerging but lacks global scope and critical discussion.
• Previous studies indicate the presence of microplastics in air, but their worldwide distribution remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of research on atmospheric microplastics.
• To analyze the global distribution of airborne microplastics using bibliometric methods.
• To summarize methodologies for sampling, identification, quantification, and transport mechanism determination.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of existing atmospheric microplastic research.
• Comparative summary of published studies on global microplastic distribution.
• Review of sampling, identification, quantification, and transport analysis techniques.

Main Results:

• Atmospheric microplastic research is concentrated in China.
• Primary sources include clothing, vehicles, and tires; secondary sources include furniture, construction, landfills, and urban dust.
• Polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate microfibers are common in indoor and outdoor air.
• Urbanization and spatiotemporal factors influence airborne microplastic fate, but atmospheric retention and circulation knowledge is limited.
• Methodological challenges, data presentation issues, and limited research diversity were identified.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant need for globalized research efforts in atmospheric microplastics.
• Standardization of research methodologies and data reporting is crucial.
• Future research should incorporate atmospheric transport modeling and thermochemical analysis to address knowledge gaps.