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Scientists at the University of Manchester are calling for the creation of a global network of air monitoring stations to track the movement of airborne plastic pollution, which may be traveling further and faster around the planet than previously thought.

In a published in the journal Current Pollution Reports today, the researchers have examined the current scientific research on how tiny plastic fragments—called micro and nanoplastics—enter the air, where they come from, and the mechanisms that transport them across vast distances.

The study reveals significant gaps in knowledge and understanding of airborne plastic pollution, driven by inconsistent measurement techniques, limited data, oversimplified simulations, and gaps in understanding atmospheric cycling mechanisms.

One key uncertainty is the scale of plastic entering the atmosphere. Current estimates vary wildly—from less than 800 metric tons to nearly 9 million metric tons per year—making it difficult to assess the true global impact. It also remains unclear whether the dominant contributors are land-based, such as road traffic, or marine-based, such as sea spray.

Such large uncertainties raise the concern that airborne plastics, which pose potential risks to human and environmental health, may have a more extensive presence and influence than previously captured by current monitoring and simulation systems.

"The scale of uncertainty around how much plastic is entering our atmosphere is alarming. Plastic pollution can have serious consequences for human health and ecosystems, so in order to assess the risks, we need to better understand how these particles behave in the atmosphere. If we want to protect people and the planet, we need better data, better models, and global coordination," says lead author Zhonghua Zheng.

Each year, the world produces more than 400 million metric tons of plastic, with a significant proportion ending up as waste. Over time, these plastics break down into microscopic particles called microplastics (less than 5 mm) and nanoplastics (smaller than 1 micron), which are increasingly being found in the air we breathe, oceans and soil. These particles can move thousands of miles within days and have even reached remote regions like polar ice zones, deserts and remote mountain peaks.

While our understanding of the problem has grown rapidly, key questions remain unanswered due to limited real-world data, inconsistent sampling methods, and computer models that oversimplify how plastic behaves in the air.

To address these concerns, the authors are calling for future research efforts to focus on three critical areas:

• Expanding and standardizing global observation networks
• Improving and refining atmospheric modeling
• Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI)

They say this integrated approach could transform how we understand and manage the plastic pollution crisis.

"By adopting this integrated approach, we can fundamentally transform how we understand and manage this emerging threat. AI can play a powerful role in analyzing data and simulating plastic movement, it can help make sense of fragmented datasets, detect hidden patterns, and integrate information from multiple sources—but it needs good quality data to work with.

"All of these areas must work hand in hand to manage this emerging threat and shape effective global pollution strategies," says Fei Jiang.