In a previous post, it was explained that anthropogenic aerosol also contains microplastics, which, depending on their size, can remain suspended for a long time. As with other forms of plastic pollution, humans are responsible for releasing these particles into the environment, making areas with higher population densities the main sources of emissions. (...)

There is also plastic in the atmosphere. It is part of a group of particles known as atmospheric aerosol. These are small solid or liquid particles suspended in the air, with diameters typically ranging from 1 nm to 10 μm (from one nanometre to ten microns). These diameters correspond to nanoscale-sized molecules, such as organic molecules, or to particles like pollen, sand, or salt, which can reach sizes of microns or larger. (...)

According to European Bioplastics, the global production of bioplastics is around 2.2 million tons (data from 2022), which represents less than one percent of the over 390 million tons of plastic produced annually (Plastics Europe for 2021, Plastics – The Facts, 2022). Within these 2.2 million tons, approximately one million correspond to non-biodegradable but bio-based plastics, mainly polyethylene (PE), polyamides (PA), and poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT). (...)