Microplastics in the clouds - 29th January 2024

Microplastics may be changing the weather. These tiny pieces of plastic are now in clouds.

Scientists in Japan studied a cloud over Mount Fuji. The cloud had 9 different plastics in it. This is the first experiment to find microplastics in clouds.

Microplastics are smaller than 5 millimetres. In the experiment, they found microplastics in every litre of cloud water. There were from 6.7 to 13.9 pieces per litre.

There are microplastics in the sea. They are in rocks from volcanoes too. Some microplastics can enter the human body.

Microplastics in clouds are bad for the environment. Light from the sun changes them. They give out greenhouse gases. They make clouds grow in a different way too.

These microplastics come back to earth in rain. They're in our food and water. This may be bad for our health.

Scientists are worried. They want to stop plastic air pollution.