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Given India's geographical susceptibility to the havoc wrought by cyclones, our country is well-acquainted with the overt destruction they can unleash. However, beyond the apparent impacts, these storms also harbour some less evident consequences. In fact, a noteworthy revelation has only recently emerged: the ability of cyclones to transport harmful microplastics across vast distances globally.

The ocean serves as a reservoir for a substantial portion of the world's microplastics, which originate on land and find their way to the ocean via diverse channels like waterways, wastewater and the atmosphere. Ocean currents then navigate these minuscule plastic fragments around the globe, often accumulating in ocean gyres, where circular current patterns create colossal garbage patches.

In a bid to understand how major cyclones can carry and disperse these microscopic plastic fragments through the atmosphere, a team from Dalhousie University collected atmospheric fallout samples during Hurricane Larry's passage over Canada's Newfoundland in September 2021. Collaborating with Dr. Mark Cohen of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the team integrated laboratory analysis with numerical modeling simulations to unravel this phenomenon.

The findings unveiled that microplastics were present in every air sample collected in Newfoundland in 2021—during Hurricane Larry and in the days that followed—with the highest concentration found in the samples collected during the storm’s peak.

Subsequent analysis of these plastics, coupled with back-trajectory modelling, led the Dalhousie researchers to conclude that they originated from the Atlantic garbage patch that the cyclone had previously passed through.

Essentially, the research demonstrated cyclones’ capacity to not only transport microplastics at a swifter pace than ocean currents, but also deliver them to remote areas not regularly exposed to microplastic deposits from other sources.

Dangers of the Lesser-Known

Microplastics come into existence either through the gradual degradation of larger plastics and synthetic fibres, or the intentional manufacturing of products such as exfoliants. While societal understanding of these particles remains limited, their potential harm to living organisms is clear. Microplastics can readily enter organisms' bodies through ingestion or even inhalation, posing a significant risk to humans and wildlife.

Yet, the repercussions of microplastics may extend beyond the current understanding, particularly when considering their atmospheric travel. For instance, microplastic pollution in diverse environmental compartments might impede the ocean's ability to sequester carbon, exacerbating the impacts of climate change.

As atmospheric microplastic research is still in its nascent stages compared to ocean or river-based studies, any new insights could be pivotal in comprehending microplastics' behaviour in various environmental realms.

Through these new findings, the researchers aim to heighten public awareness and alert policymakers to the urgent necessity of adopting sustainable alternatives for plastics. Their goal further extends to emphasising the importance of deploying new technologies to prevent microplastics from entering the environment in the first place.

The research was published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, and can be accessed here.

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POLLUTION

Cyclonic Circulation: Study Reveals How Cyclones Can Help Microplastics Infiltrate Remote Locations, and Fast!

Dangers of the Lesser-Known