Dissecting giant hailstones: A glimpse into the troposphere with its diverse bacterial communities and fibrous microplastics

Kozjek, Marko; Vengust, Damjan; Radošević, Tina; Žitko, Gregor; Koren, Simon; Toplak, Nataša; Jerman, Ivan; Butala, Matej; Podlogar, Matejka; Viršek, Manca Kovač

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158786

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Exposure to O3 and UVC+O3 led to a reduction in nucleation temperature for two (PP-needles c and PP-fibers b ) out of the three ice-active microplastics. Our results are consistent with field measurements by Kozjek et al 62 who observed fibrous microplastics inside hailstones. 62 Since the mid-20 th century, our environment has been increasingly inundated with plastics.…”

Section: Freezing Results For Aged Microplasticssupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Our results are consistent with field measurements by Kozjek et al 62 who observed fibrous microplastics inside hailstones. 62 Since the mid-20 th century, our environment has been increasingly inundated with plastics. Considering the time lag from the release of plastics into the environment to their gradual transformation into microplastics, it is likely that the concentration of microplastics will continue to rise in the future and play a more significant role in ice formation in the atmosphere.…”

Section: Freezing Results For Aged Microplasticssupporting

confidence: 93%

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Microplastic particles contain ice nucleation sites that can be deactivated by atmospheric aging

Seifried,

Nikkho,

Morales Murillo

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Recent research has shown that microplastics are widespread in the atmosphere. However, we know little about their ability to nucleate ice and impact cloud glaciation. Ice nucleation by microplastics could also limit their long-range transport and global distributions. The present study explores the heterogeneous ice nucleation activity of seven microplastic samples in the immersion-freezing mode. Two polypropylene and one polyethylene terephthalate sample froze heterogeneously with median freezing temperatures of -20.9°C, -23.2°C and -21.9°C, respectively. The number of ice nucleation sites per surface area, n_s (T), ranged from 10-1 to 104 cm-2 in a temperature interval of -15 to -25°C, which is comparable to that of volcanic ash and fungal spores. After exposure to ozone or a combination of UV light and ozone, simulating atmospheric aging, the ice nucleation activity decreased in some cases and remained unchanged in others. An initial assessment using microplastic concentrations reported in the literature and our freezing data suggest that microplastics may influence cloud glaciation in some situations, but more studies are needed to confirm this initial assessment. Ice nucleation by microplastics may also impact their long-range transport and global distribution of microplastics based on a comparison of our freezing results and those of fungal spores.

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Section: Freezing Results For Aged Microplasticssupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Freezing Results For Aged Microplasticssupporting

confidence: 93%

Microplastic particles contain ice nucleation sites that can be deactivated by atmospheric aging

Seifried,

Nikkho,

Morales Murillo

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…Given these quantities of synthetic microfibers from clothing textiles (CTs) in the air, it has been hypothesized that airborne microfibers could act as atmospheric INPs and play a crucial role in cloud-freezing processes . Recent indications of the ice nucleation potential of microplastics have emerged from laboratory-derived plastic hydrosols or the presence of natural and synthetic anthropogenic microfibers in hailstones. , The purpose of this study was to assess the ice nucleation abilities of microfibrous CT materials. We have included both synthetic and natural CT fibers worn by the same individual for an approximate period of 1 year in our study to simulate normal wear and tear of these materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clothing Textiles as Carriers of Biological Ice Nucleation Active Particles

Teska,

Dieser,

Foreman

2024

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Microplastics have littered the globe, with synthetic fibers being the largest source of atmospheric microplastics. Many atmospheric particles can act as ice nucleators, thereby affecting the microphysical and radiative properties of clouds and, hence, the radiative balance of the Earth. The present study focused on the icenucleating ability of fibers from clothing textiles (CTs), which are commonly shed from the normal wear of apparel items. Results from immersion ice nucleation experiments showed that CTs were effective ice nucleators active from −6 to −12 °C, similar to common biological ice nucleators. However, subsequent lysozyme and hydrogen peroxide digestion stripped the ice nucleation properties of CTs, indicating that ice nucleation was biological in origin. Microscopy confirmed the presence of biofilms (i.e., microbial cells attached to a surface and enclosed in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix) on CTs. If present in sufficient quantities in the atmosphere, biological particles (biofilms) attached to fibrous materials could contribute significantly to atmospheric ice nucleation.

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“…[27][28][29] Even less is known about the possible implications of these particles on the microphysics of clouds as well as on precipitation and climate related processes, 30 e.g., nanoplastics can potentially act as cloud condensation nuclei 31 or nucleate ice heterogeneously. 32,33 The detection of atmospheric MPs is oen associated with labor-intensive and time-consuming procedures. First, atmospheric MPs are collected from atmospheric fallout, rain or snow, or via active sampling on a lter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, nanoplastics can potentially act as cloud condensation nuclei 31 or nucleate ice heterogeneously. 32,33…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A fluorescence approach for an online measurement technique of atmospheric microplastics

Gratzl,

Seifried,

Stolzenburg

et al. 2024

Environ. Sci.: Atmos.

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Dissecting giant hailstones: A glimpse into the troposphere with its diverse bacterial communities and fibrous microplastics

Cited by 7 publications

References 48 publications

Microplastic particles contain ice nucleation sites that can be deactivated by atmospheric aging

Microplastic particles contain ice nucleation sites that can be deactivated by atmospheric aging

Clothing Textiles as Carriers of Biological Ice Nucleation Active Particles

A fluorescence approach for an online measurement technique of atmospheric microplastics

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