Tiny plastic particles from clothing and car tyres stick to spiders’ webs in cities, which could prove useful to researchers monitoring this form of pollution
Environment
29 April 2022
A spiderweb at a bus stop Shutterstock / Niklas Storm
Tiny microplastic particles floating through city air stick to spiderwebs, giving researchers a natural way to capture and monitor this form of pollution.
Microplastics, which come from sources like polyester clothing, are being found widely in our food, soil and oceans. But researchers haven’t extensively looked into how many airborne microplastic particles might be present in urban areas. It is a potential concern as these microplastics could be getting into our lungs and may have adverse effects on our health.
