Dust^2
Recent paper published by Environmental Chemistry Letters draws from work by Dust^2 Cluster member Janice Brahney.
Published in September 2023
In the mountains of Japan, scientists discovered microplastics in the clouds, floating at altitudes between 1300–3776 meters. Using advanced imaging, they identified nine different types of these tiny plastic particles.
The concentration was about 6.7 to 13.9 pieces per liter, and their sizes varied. Many of these microplastics have structures that could help water and ice condense around them, hinting they might play a role in cloud formation and potentially impact our climate.