Tiny plastic particles have been found in the clouds above Mt. Fuji. Researchers say they could affect the climate.
A group of researchers from Waseda University in Tokyo recently found microplastics in the clouds above Mount Fuji. In a
Studying this wasn’t easy. The Mount Fuji Research Station is located at the highest of the eight peaks of Mount Fuji, next to an unobstructed cliff where the researchers could collect samples of cloud water without interference from climbers or mountain huts. They collected samples only during the summer months on Mount Fuji, at altitudes of about 3,800 meters, or 12,400 feet. A researcher would collect samples every few hours based on cloud density.
Through modeling, the researchers confirmed that a ribbon-shaped particle could travel much farther than a spherical one because they can stay in the atmosphere more than 450% longer. The researchers also found that the majority of microplastic particles they observed were flat.“This paper really shows using kind of elegant theory why these microplastic fibers can be transported just much farther than you would have thought if you thought they were a sphere,” Mahowald said.
Okochi also pointed out that strong ultraviolet radiation in the upper atmosphere could accelerate the degradation of the floating plastic particles, releasing greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide. “This has the effect of warming the Earth,” he said.
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