Examining the Atmospheric Transport of Microplastics using the HYSPLIT Model

Microplastics are tiny particles less than 5 mm in size and are a growing scientific concern, given the potential harm caused across ecosystems as plastic use increases globally. To further understand the atmosphere's role, the HYSPLIT model was utilized to identify differences in transport distance and deposition area by particle size and shape. The extent of microplastic transport and deposition varied significantly by shape for particles larger than 6 µm. Long fibres deposited over a 32% greater area than spherical particles at the largest size of 23.5 µm. The maximum deposition area occurred at 4.5 µm, varying in area by less than 0.25% by shape. As particles smaller than 10 µm have the largest potential to cause adverse health effects, accurately modelling the shape of atmospheric microplastic transport is crucial to determining the range and amount of deposition globally, especially in the 6 µm to 10 µm size range.