Anonymousabout 21 hours ago
A May 2026 study in Nature Climate Change by researchers at Duke University and Fudan University found that colored micro- and nanoplastics suspended in the atmosphere produce a mean radiative forcing of 0.039 W/m², equivalent to 16% of the warming caused by black carbon — far more than previously estimated. The finding overturns a 2021 study that suggested microplastics had a negligible or slightly cooling effect on climate, and raises new questions about whether plastic pollution belongs in climate models alongside established warming agents.