Plastic has become a global pollutant concern over the last couple of decades: it is widespread in society, not often disposed of effectively, and generates both microplastics (1 µm to 5 mm in size) and nanoplastics (smaller than 1 µm) that have infiltrated many ecosystems – including being found inside humans and animals.

Over time, bulk plastics break down into micro- and nanoplastics through fragmentation mechanisms that create much smaller particles with a range of shapes and sizes. Their small size has become a problem because they are increasingly finding their way into waterways that pollute the environment, into cities and other urban environments, and are now even being transported to remote polar and high-altitude regions.

This poses potential health risks around the world. While the behaviour of micro- and nanoplastics in the atmosphere is poorly understood, it’s thought that they are transported by transcontinental and transoceanic winds, which causes the spread of plastic in the global carbon cycle.

However, the lack of data on the emission, distribution and deposition of atmospheric micro- and nanoplastic particles makes it difficult to definitively say how they are transported around the world. It is also challenging to quantify their behaviour, because plastic particles can have a range of densities, sizes and shapes that undergo physical changes in clouds, all of which affect how they travel.

A global team of researchers has developed a new semi-automated microanalytical method that can quantify atmospheric plastic particles present in air dustfall, rain, snow and dust resuspension. The research was performed across two Chinese megacities, Guangzhou and Xi’an.

“As atmospheric scientists, we noticed that microplastics in the atmosphere have been the least reported among all environmental compartments in the Earth system due to limitations in detection methods, because atmospheric particles are smaller and more complex to analyse,” explains Yu Huang, from the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IEECAS) and one of the paper’s lead authors. “We therefore set out to develop a reliable detection technique to determine whether microplastics are present in the atmosphere, and if so, in what quantities.”

Quantitative detection

For this new approach, the researchers employed a computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy (CCSEM) system equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to reduce human bias in the measurements (which is an issue in manual inspections). They located and measured individual micro- and nanoplastic particles – enabling their concentration and physicochemical characteristics to be determined – in aerosols, dry and wet depositions, and resuspended road dust.

“We believe the key contribution of this work lies in the development of a semi‑automated method that identifies the atmosphere as a significant reservoir of microplastics. By avoiding the human bias inherent in visual inspection, our approach provides robust quantitative data,” says Huang. “Importantly, we found that these microplastics often coexist with other atmospheric particles, such as mineral dust and soot – a mixing state that could enhance their potential impacts on climate and the environment.”

The method could detect and quantify plastic particles as small as 200 nm, and revealed airborne concentrations of 1.8 × 10⁵ microplastics/m³ and 4.2 × 10⁴ nanoplastics/m³ in Guangzhou and 1.4 × 10⁵ microplastics/m³ and 3.0 × 10⁴ nanoplastics/m³ in Xi’an. This is two to six orders of magnitude higher for both microplastic and nanoplastic fluxes than reported previously via visual methods.

The team also found that the deposition samples were more heterogeneously mixed with other particle types (such as dust and other pollution particles) than aerosols and resuspension samples, which showed that particles tend to aggregate in the atmosphere before being removed during atmospheric transport.

The study revealed transport insights that could be beneficial for investigating the climate, ecosystem and human health impacts of plastic particles at all levels. The researchers are now advancing their method in two key directions.

“First, we are refining sampling and CCSEM‑based analytical strategies to detect mixed states between microplastics and biological or water‑soluble components, which remain invisible with current techniques. Understanding these interactions is essential for accurately assessing microplastics’ climate and health effects,” Huang tells Physics World. “Second, we are integrating CCSEM with Raman analysis to not only quantify abundance but also identify polymer types. This dual approach will generate vital evidence to support environmental policy decisions.”

The research was published in Science Advances.

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Research council to slash funding for particle physics, nuclear physics, and astronomy by 30%, prompting alarm across the research community

Maj. Gen. Terry Grisham will oversee the move from Colorado Springs to Redstone Arsenal.

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NASA is at a “crossroads” in deciding how to handle logistics for the lunar Gateway as it considers alternative approaches.

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Learn more about how and why we form social media habits and some ways you can break your own social media habits.

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The Denver-based satellite manufacturer raises $629 million, aims to expand output amid rising U.S. defense budgets

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Paris, France [January 29, 2026] – The 12th edition of Novaspace’s Space Economy Report notes the global space economy is now on a significant growth trajectory, positioned to expand from […]

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Eutelsat said a planned sale of its passive ground infrastructure to a private equity firm announced in August 2024 will not proceed, eliminating roughly $658 million in expected proceeds.

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Harwell and Guildford, UK – Oxford Space Systems and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) today announced the successful in-orbit deployment of Oxford Space Systems’ Wrapped Rib Antenna on SSTL’s CarbSAR […]

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The space physicist Michele Dougherty has stepped aside as president of the Institute of Physics, which publishes Physics World. The move was taken to avoid any conflicts of interest given her position as executive chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) – one of the main funders of physics research in the UK.

Dougherty, who is based at Imperial College London, spent two years as IOP president-elect from October 2023 before becoming president in October 2025. Dougherty was appointed executive chair of the STFC in January 2025 and in July that year was also announced as the next Astronomer Royal – the first woman to hold the position.

The changes at the IOP come in the wake of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) stating last month that it will be adjusting how it allocates government funding for scientific research and infrastructure. Spending on curiosity-driven research will remain flat from 2026 to 2030, with UKRI prioritising funding in three key areas or “buckets”.

The three buckets are: curiosity-driven research, which will be the largest; strategic government and societal priorities; and supporting innovative companies. There will also be a fourth “cross-cutting” bucket with funding for infrastructure, facilities and talent. In the four years to 2030, UKRI’s budget will be £38.6bn.

While the detailed implications of the funding changes are still to be worked out, the IOP says its “top priority” is understanding and responding to them. With the STFC being one of nine research councils within UKRI, Dougherty is stepping aside as IOP president to ensure the IOP can play what it says is “a leadership role in advocating for physics without any conflict of interest”.

In her role as STFC executive chair, Dougherty yesterday wrote to the UK’s particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics community, asking researchers to identify by March how their projects would respond to flat cash as well as reductions of 20%, 40% and 60% – and to “identify the funding point at which the project becomes non-viable”. The letter says that a “similar process” will happen for facilities and labs.

In her letter, Dougherty says that the UK’s science minister Lord Vallance and UKRI chief executive Ian Chapman want to protect curiosity-driven research, which they say is vital, and grow it “as the economy allows”. However, she adds, “the STFC will need to focus our efforts on a more concentrated set of priorities, funded at a level that can be maintained over time”.

Tom Grinyer, chief executive officer of the IOP, says that the IOP is “fully focused on ensuring physics is heard clearly as these serious decisions are shaped”. He says the IOP is “gathering insight from across the physics community and engaging closely with government, UKRI and the research councils so that we can represent the sector with authority and evidence”.

Grinyer warns, however, that UKRI’s shift in funding priorities and the subsequent STFC funding cuts will have “severe consequences” for physics. “The promised investment in quantum, AI, semiconductors and green technologies is welcome but these strengths depend on a stable research ecosystem,” he says.

“I want to thank Michele for her leadership, and we look forward to working constructively with her in her capacity at STFC as this important period for physics unfolds,” adds Grinyer.

Next steps

The nuclear physicist Paul Howarth, who has been IOP president-elect since September, will now take on Dougherty’s responsibilities – as prescribed by the IOP’s charter – with immediate effect, with the IOP Council discussing its next steps at its February 2026 meeting.

With a PhD in nuclear physics, Howarth has had a long career in the nuclear sector working on the European Fusion Programme and at British Nuclear Fuels, as well as co-founding the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester.

He was a non-executive board director of the National Physical Laboratory and until his retirement earlier this year was chief executive officer of the National Nuclear Laboratory.

In response to the STFC letter, Howarth says that the projected cuts “are a devastating blow for the foundations of UK physics”.

“Physics isn’t a luxury we can afford to throw away through confusion,” says Howarth. “We urge the government to rethink these cuts, listen to the physics community, and deliver to a 10-year strategy to secure physics for the future.”

The post Michele Dougherty steps aside as president of the Institute of Physics appeared first on Physics World.

China’s main space contractor says it will push into new commercial space domains in the coming years as the country formulates its latest Five-year plan.

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This episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast features Todd McNutt, who is a medical physicist at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of Oncospace. In a conversation with Physics World’s Tami Freeman, McNutt explains how an artificial intelligence-based tool called Plan AI can help improve the quality of radiation therapy plans for cancer treatments.

As well as discussing the benefits that Plan AI brings to radiotherapy patients and cancer treatment centres, they examine its evolution from an idea developed by an academic collaboration to a clinical product offered today by Sun Nuclear, a US manufacturer of radiation equipment and software.

This podcast is sponsored by Sun Nuclear.

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Türkiye’s space industry is no longer the limiting factor in its potential participation in Artemis Accords. Over the past two decades, Ankara has built an increasingly sophisticated space ecosystem, one that now finds itself at a strategic inflection point. If Türkiye were to engage with the Artemis Accords, now with 61 signatories after Oman signed, […]

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January 29, 2026 | 6:00 AM ET Orlando, Florida – Space Grove Ventures publicly launches at SpaceCom | Space Congress today, taking place January 28–30 at the Orange County Convention […]

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The first Starship test flight of 2026 is scheduled for as soon as early March as SpaceX enters a critical year in the vehicle’s development.

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Gestala is the latest company to emerge from China’s burgeoning brain-computer interface industry. It plans to access the brain with noninvasive ultrasound technology.