Plastic-free July: 7 ‘R’s to a plastic-free lifestyle
Every choice we make, every product we buy, and every activity we choose to do determines our planet’s future. Read our Plastic Free July article on the 7 ‘R’s to plastic-free lifestyle!
London has highest measured concentration of microplastics in the air
Amsterdam, 10 January 2020 – Nowhere have so many microplastics in the air been measured as in London. The vast majority of these microplastics (92%) are fibres from synthetic clothing and floor coverings. Airborne microplastics are part of fine dust. Inhalation of fine dust can lead to all sorts of health complaints.
For a month, microplastics descended from the air twice a week on the roof of a nine-story building. Each individual sample contained more microplastics than was measured in Paris and the Chinese city of Dongguan. London itself is probably the source of the microplastics with fanning out effects on the wider environment, but it is difficult to indicate exactly where the tiny fibres come from. This study appeared in the scientific journal ‘Environment International’ at the end of last year.
Microfibres
Microplastics are created by the fragmentation of plastic. The high percentage of fibres measured in London is remarkable. These microfibres are released when synthetic textiles and carpets wear out or are washed. Twenty times as many microplastics of the same size were measured in London as in a remote location in the Pyrenees. Furthermore, the researchers found that weather conditions have little influence on the number of microplastics that have descended, while a study on microplastics fallout in Paris seemed to indicate a connection with rainy weather.
Share of microplastics in fine dust
A high concentration of dust leads to all sorts of health complaints. The study notes that worldwide initiatives are therefore being taken to reduce particulate matter originating from traffic or the burning of wood. However, there are hardly any initiatives aimed at reducing microplastics in the air.
As a result of the annual growth in the use of plastics and synthetic textiles, in particular, the composition of the fine dust will change; the proportion of microplastics will increase. The researchers advocate more basic research into the presence of microplastics in the air and the exposure of people. This knowledge is indispensable in order to better understand the possible role of microplastics in relation to health problems associated with particulate matter. For example, watch the presentation by Fransien van Dijk during the Plastic Health Summit last October.
The research in London was led by Dr. Stephanie Wright of King’s College. She was also a speaker at the Plastic Health Summit. Wright: ‘An important next step in predicting risk is to estimate human exposure to airborne microplastics’.
Read also – Are we getting sick of plastic? Strong decrease in growth of airways
Read also – It rains microplastics, everywhere and every day
Read also – Fallout of plastic microfibres
More news
Read more
Record Catch of Ghost Nets
Ocean Voyage Institute sets a record: the largest cleanup operation ever carried out on the open sea. The institute on Hawaii developed a simple method to detect ghost nets and remove them from the water.
Pavement causes serious plastic leakage
Recently we were approached by Suzanne van Knippenberg, who came across a remarkable form of plastic pollution: paving plastic in her sister’s garden.
ASN Bank talks with Unilever about microplastics in cosmetics
ASN Bank only approves investments and financing that comply with the bank’s sustainability policy. With its assessment policy, the bank claims to significantly influence companies’ plastic use, thus preventing plastic from ending up in nature.
