Table 1 Summary of published pumped air-mass microplastic (MP) findings.
From: Evidence of free tropospheric and long-range transport of microplastic at Pic du Midi Observatory
Location | Microplastic count (MP/m3) | Microplastic mean or median counts | MP size range | Predominant size ranges | Environment | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shanghai, China | 0–4.18 MP/m3 | 1.42 MP/m3 | 23 µm–5 mm | <1000 µm | City | |
Paris (indoor) | 0.4–60.0 MP/m3 | 5.4 MP/m3 | 50 µm–5 mm | 20–250 µm | City | |
Paris (outdoor) | 0.3–1.5 MP/m3 | 0.9 MP/m3 | 50 µm–5 mm | 20–250 µm | City | |
Sakarya Province, Turkey | 116–3424 MP/m3 | 2019 MP/m3 | 50 µm–5 mm | NA | City | |
Western Pacific Ocean (Shanghai– Mariana Islands) | 0–1.37 MP/m3 | 0.01 MP/m3 | 20 µm–2 mm | 318 µm | Offshore marine air | |
Surabaya, Indonesia | 131–174 MP/m3 | 153 MP/m3 | ~500 µm–5 mm | 1000–1500 µm | City | |
Asaluyeh County, Iran | 0.3–1.1 MP/m3 | NA | 100 µm–1 mm | >100-µm fibres | City | |
Beijing, China | 5600–5700 MP/m3 | 5600 MP/m3 | 5 µm–2 mm | <20 µm | City | |
CSU, USA (indoor) | 2.7–17 MP/m3 | 7.9 MP/m3 | 20–>3000 µm | 100–300 µm | City | |
CSU, USA (outdoor) | 0.7–19.6 MP/m3 | 8.3 MP/m3 | 20–>3000 µm | 100–300 µm | City | |
Atlantic coast, France | 0.02–19 MP/m3 | 2.9 MP/m3 (onshore) | 2.5–300 µm | 5–10 µm | Coastal onshore air | |
Pearl River Estuary, South China Sea, Indian Ocean | 0–0.077 MP/m3 | 0.01 MP/m3 | 58–2252 µm | 851 µm | Offshore marine air | |
Bushehr port, Iran | 0–14.2 MP/m3 | 2.1 MP/m3 calm days 10.3 MP/m3 dusty days | <2.5 µm | NA | City | |
Pic du Midi, France | 0.09–0.66 MP/m3 | 0.23 MP/m3 | 3–53 µm | <10 µm fragments 15–20 µm fibres | Remote terrestrial (mountains) | This Study |
