Mount Everest is receiving a steady, year-round supply of airborne microplastics and nanoplastics, according to a study published in Communications Earth & Environment. Researchers report year-long monitoring on the mountain’s northern slope using dry, wet, and total deposition sampling, identifying the atmosphere as an efficient pathway for plastic delivery to the Third Pole.
Microplastic deposition fluxes were significantly higher at Qomolangma Station, at 64.0 particles per square metre per day, than at Everest Base Camp, which recorded 23.0 particles per square metre per day. The authors attribute this contrast to topographic and anthropogenic differences between the two sites. The deposited microplastics were dominated by fragments, with polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene the main polymer types identified.
Nanoplastic concentrations, measured across five representative months, were also higher at Qomolangma Station than at Everest Base Camp. The nanoplastics included polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene, showing that even the smallest plastic particles reach some of the most remote terrain on Earth.
Seasonal patte...