Study Suggests Airborne Microplastics May Contribute to Atmospheric Warming

Tue, 05 May 2026 18:22:00 +0200

A recent study published in Nature Climate Change highlights a previously underexplored contributor to global warming: airborne microplastics. Researchers, led by Fudan University in China, found that microplastics, particularly dark and colored particles, absorb sunlight significantly more than they reflect it, thereby warming the atmosphere. The study shows that black, yellow, blue, and red microplastics can absorb up to 75 times more light than uncolored plastics, with absorption levels also varying by particle size and aging. While the estimated warming effect of microplastics is about one-sixth that of black carbon (soot from fossil fuels), it is not negligible. Experts like Drew Shindell of Duke University note that global microplastic emissions for one year could have a warming effect roughly equivalent to running 200 coal-fired power plants. Despite this, current climate models do not account for microplastics’ contribution to atmospheric warming. Researchers emphasize that mor