Overview
- The Nature Climate Change paper, published Monday, finds that micro- and nanoplastics in the atmosphere cause net warming equal to about 16% of black carbon’s impact.
- Researchers measured real-world plastic colors using electron energy-loss spectroscopy and found that black, red, yellow, and blue particles absorb up to roughly 75 times more sunlight than clear ones.
- Models show sharp regional effects over ocean gyres such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch where plastic-driven warming can match or top soot, and strong storms can temporarily lift more particles into the air.
- Authors and outside experts say the global effect is modest—likely a few percent of total warming—yet uncertain because the amount and spread of airborne plastics are not well measured.
- The team urges more global sampling and wants climate models and future IPCC assessments to include plastics, which come from the breakdown of waste, tire wear, textiles, and landfill and roadside sources.