Atmospheric microplastics cause additional global warming by absorbing more sunlight than they reflect
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · May 4
Atmospheric microplastics cause additional global warming by absorbing more sunlight than they reflect
16 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · May 4
The May 4 Nature Climate Change study says they absorb about five times more sunlight than they reflect and may account for roughly 2% of warming, co-author Drew Shindell said.
Researchers found color is crucial: black and colored particles warm far more than white ones, while ageing changes plastics' optical properties and their climate effects as winds carry them globally.
The findings challenge earlier assumptions that airborne plastics had minimal climate impact, though authors say atmospheric quantities and distribution remain uncertain and should be better represented in future climate assessments.
Airborne plastics now warm the planet, but could their local heating effect already be five times worse than soot?
As scientists race to measure airborne plastics, why do some models suggest we are vastly overestimating their quantity?
Beyond just reducing plastic waste, can we invent 'climate-friendly' materials that won't heat the planet as they degrade?
Atmospheric Microplastics as a Significant Climate Forcer: Quantifying Their Radiative Forcing and Carbon Cycle Disruption
Overview
Recent studies reveal that microplastics released mainly from land-based sources—over 20 times more than oceans—are transported globally by wind, contributing significantly to atmospheric warming. Nanoplastics cause a radiative forcing equivalent to about 16% of black carbon's effect, with hotspots like urban centers and ocean garbage patches experiencing up to 4.7 times higher warming. The warming impact varies by surface type, causing cooling over dark soils but strong warming over reflective ice. Additionally, microplastics disrupt carbon sinks by releasing greenhouse gases and harming soil and ocean ecosystems, creating a feedback loop that accelerates plastic fragmentation and climate change. Urgent policies and improved climate models are needed to address this growing threat.