Journal article
Atmospheric warming contributions from airborne microplastics and nanoplastics
Nature climate change, Vol.16(5), pp.598-605
05/04/2026
DOI: 10.1038/s41558-026-02620-1
Abstract
Microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs) are pervasive in the atmosphere, yet their direct radiative forcing (DRF) remains poorly constrained. Using a radiative transfer model combined with experimentally derived optical properties and simulated atmospheric distributions, we show that coloured MNPs exhibit strong light absorption, with a mean refractive index of 1.49-0.22i at 550 nm and absorption coefficients 74.8 times higher than those of pristine particles. Atmospheric ageing produces minimal net optical change, as yellowing-induced absorption in white particles is largely offset by bleaching of red ones. Modelled global surface concentrations reach 4.18 MP m(-3) for microplastics and 3.67 ng m(-3) for nanoplastics. Resulting simulations yield mean DRF of 0.039 +/- 0.019 W m(-2) for MNPs, equivalent to 16.2% of black carbon forcing. Regional DRF peaks over the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (similar to 1.34 W m(-2)), exceeded located black carbon by 4.7-fold, highlighting MNPs as previously unrecognized climate forcing agents.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Atmospheric warming contributions from airborne microplastics and nanoplastics
- Creators
- Yu Liu - Fudan UniversityHongbo Fu - Nanjing University of Information Science and TechnologyHongliang Zhang - University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologyYunhang Wang - Fudan UniversityRajan K. Chakrabarty - Washington University in St. LouisXiang Tu - Jiangxi Academy of Environmental SciencesXu Tang - Fudan UniversityAlexander Laskin - Purdue University West LafayetteGregory R. Carmichael - University of IowaJianmin Chen - Fudan UniversityJoseph S. Francisco - University of the SciencesDrew T. Shindell - Duke University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Nature climate change, Vol.16(5), pp.598-605
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41558-026-02620-1
- ISSN
- 1758-678X
- eISSN
- 1758-6798
- Publisher
- NATURE PORTFOLIO
- Number of pages
- 17
- Grant note
- 22176038; 91744205; 21777025 / National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 22ZR1404700 / Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai Municipality)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/04/2026
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Nursing; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9985161442402771
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