It seems microplastics — tiny plastic fragments that measure less than five millimeters in length and come from a variety of sources, including clothing, packaging, cosmetics and tires — are everywhere these days, even at the Pic du Midi Observatory, 9,439 feet above sea level in the French Pyrenees. The study found that high wind speeds allowed the microplastics to travel around the globe without much friction or interference. According to Steve Allen, some of the plastics originated in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. A majority of the plastic particles found in the French Pyrenees had a diameter between five and 20 micrometers, small enough to be breathed in, reported New Scientist. There’s no borders in nature,” Steve Allen said, reported New Scientist.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 23, 2021 15:36 UTC