000 02635 am a22002413u 4500
042 _adc
100 1 0 _aAeschlimann, Mischa
_eauthor
_91728
700 1 0 _aLi, Guangyu
_eauthor
_91729
700 1 0 _aKanji, Zamin A.
_eauthor
_91730
700 1 0 _aMitrano, Denise M.
_eauthor
245 0 0 _aMicroplastics and nanoplastics in the atmosphere: the potential impacts on cloud formation processes
260 _c2022-12.
500 _a/pmc/articles/PMC7613933/
500 _a/pubmed/36532143
520 _aThe presence of microplastics and nanoplastics (MnPs) in the atmosphere and their transport on a global scale has previously been demonstrated. However, little is known about their environmental impacts. MnPs could act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) or ice nucleating particles (INPs), affecting cloud formation processes. In sufficient quantities, they could change the cloud albedo, precipitation, and lifetime, collectively impacting the Earth's radiation balance and climate. In this perspective, we evaluate the potential impact of MnPs on cloud formation by assessing their ability to act as CCN or INPs. Based on an analysis of their physicochemical properties, we propose that MnPs can act as INPs and potentially as CCN, after environmental ageing processes, such as photochemical weathering, sorption of macromolecules or trace soluble species onto the particle surface. The actual climate impact(s) of MnPs depend on their abundance relative to other aerosols. The concentration of MnPs in the atmosphere is currently low, so they are unlikely to make a significant contribution to radiative forcing in regions exposed to other anthropogenic aerosol pollution. Nevertheless, MnPs will potentially cause non-negligible perturbations in unpolluted remote/marine clouds and generate local climate impacts, particularly in view of increased MnPs release to the environment in future. Further measurements coupled with better characterization of the physiochemical properties of MnPs will enable a more accurate assessment of climate impacts of MnPs to act as INP and CCN.
540 _a
540 _ahttps://www.springernature.com/gp/open-research/policies/accepted-manuscript-termsUsers may view, print, copy, and download text and data-mine the content in such documents, for the purposes of academic research, subject always to the full Conditions of use: https://www.springernature.com/gp/open-research/policies/accepted-manuscript-terms
546 _aen
690 _aArticle
655 7 _aText
_2local
786 0 _nNat Geosci
856 4 1 _uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01051-9
_zConnect to this object online.
999 _c1871
_d1871