
Could the Dust in a Gulf Dust Storm Be Carrying Microplastics?
When a dust storm turns the sky orange, we usually think about sand and soil. But what else could be traveling in that dust?
Recent research has found microplastics in urban dust and airborne environments, raising a question for the Gulf: could dust storms be helping microplastics travel through the atmosphere?
We don't have the direct measurements needed to answer that yet. I looked at what recent studies can — and cannot — tell us about this possible pathway.