The Huffington Post
Microplastics, or tiny fragments of plastics that haven’t completely broken down, are basically everywhere. They can be found in rubbish, dust, fabrics, cosmetics, cleaning products, rain, seafood, produce, table salt, and more, according to Harvard Magazine . They’re in our bodies, too: microplastics have been discovered in our blood, saliva, liver, kidneys, and even the placenta in pregnant individuals. Some worry these might hurt our health , though not all experts agree. Either way, though, new research has suggested that sub-5mm pieces could be heating our planet further. How can microplastics impact global warming? The study, published in Nature Climate Change , suggested that, on average, microplastics have a warming effect on the environment. Study author Professor Drew Shindell said we hadn’t known for sure whether microplastics cooled or heated the atmosphere overall. Paler-coloured fragments might scatter and reduce the heating power of the sun, while darker ones could hold onto heat. So, the researchers used an electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) to see how plastic debris reacted to sunlight and radiation. They found that the size and colour of the plastic mattered, with yellow, black, red, and blue microplastics absorbing light more strongly than lighter colours. And Shindell said that lighter hues darken into yellows over time, too. “The key finding is really that the warming strongly outweighs the cooling,” the researcher told Science Direct . “I think we have a lot of confidence in that because we did all of these measurements in the laboratory of how [microplastics and nanoplastics] interact with sunlight. What we don’t have so much confidence in and what’s still a big uncertainty is exactly how many of these are in the atmosphere.” How much of a difference was there? It seemed that the warming effect was about five times greater than the cooling effect in this study. This impact would still pale in comparison to something like the burning of fossil fuels, Shindell added . And the researchers said that one of the problems with this study is that we don’t know for sure how many microplastics and nonplastics there are in the Earth’s atmosphere. But, he said, “it just adds another compelling reason why we should pay more attention to keeping plastic waste out of the environment”. Related... Everything A Climate Professor Wants You To Know About 2026's 'Super El Niño' What Happens If… We Actually Exceed 1.5°C In Global Warming? No, The Cold Weather Doesn't Mean Global Warming Isn't Happening
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