Scientists estimate that 74 metric tonnes of microplastics collapse from the sky into the city of Auckland, New Zealand, every year, which is equivalent to more than 3 million plastic bottles. Believe it or not, Plastic Rain is real, and it's drastically affecting our world.
Scientists added up the numbers and found that about 74 metric tonnes of microplastics fell from the sky in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2020.
The extremely small, fewer than five millimetre-long particles of plastic trash are called Microplastics and are found in packaging, clothes, and mostly everywhere.
The plastic mist or rain of microplastics is no longer a hypothesis but an actual issue that our already suffering planet is facing.
Gone are the days when Plastic Rain was just a theory; now, it is a reality that is raising concerns about its negative impact on the human body.
What does the data indicate?
Studies indicate that the atmospheric deposition of microplastics (MPs) in Auckland, New Zealand, from two sampling sites over 9 weeks are as follows:
In one day, in one square meter, the average number of airborne plastics was 4,885 in 2020.
It was 771 in a 2020 study in London,
It was 275 in a 2019 study in Hamburg
and 110 in a 2016 study in Paris.
The number gap is large because the Auckland study includes smaller size ranges that were not part of previous research.
Though the term "microplastic" was coined 18 years ago, it already appears to be a major issue for humanity. According to reports, the average human consumes an estimated 74,000 particles of plastic each year, with unknown health effects.
What Is Plastic Rain?
The 5-millimeters-long microplastics, tiny bits of plastic debris falling from the sky, are called Plastic Rain.
This microplastic that falls from the sky comes from various sources, including packaging, clothing, automobiles, paint, and old car tyres.
The tiny plastic components are contaminating the deep-sea habitats.
They enter the ocean through wastewater, which later ejects from the water and blows onto land in sea breezes.
Adverse Effects Of Plastic Rain
The most significant worry about plastic rain is that microplastics are transported throughout the planet.
Isolated locations like Antarctica need to be extra careful, as microplastics were discovered in the new snowfall and confirmed by prior investigations.
Microplastics can cause significant issues because they are found in our rainwater, food chain, and oceans, where 15 to 51 trillion particles are estimated to drift near the surface.
According to Scientists, currents carry microplastic particles into deep-sea ecosystems. When the currents are slow, the suspended particles fall out and settle on the seafloor, which can ruin the ecosystem completely.
As Plastic waste is expected to skyrocket from 260 million tons a year to 460 million tons by 2030, we need to be even more vigilant and change our consumption habits.
According to the consultancy McKinsey, more people joining the middle class in economically developing countries means more consumerism and plastic packaging.
Plastic never really gets destroyed. All we can do is reduce its usage and production.
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