How Rain Launches Microplastics into the Air ⚡ экспресс
Raindrops can lift micro-particles from the ocean surface — this was tested by dropping water on particle layers with different buoyancy and wettability. It turned out: deeply submerged particles suppress the splash, while floating ones amplify spray dispersal and create a 'Worthington jet' (a thin column shooting up after impact). Non-wetting particles cling to this jet, turning it into a flying 'marble' droplet. Moreover, the onset of splashing and jet height obey a simple scaling law involving geometry, inertia, and capillarity. The work explains how rain transports microplastics into the atmosphere and helps model soil erosion.
The Sun drives the water cycle, and rain returns it to the ground. But now, every drop is a tiny hammer striking the surface. Floating plastic particles (microplastics, mostly carbon) upon impact jump up like popcorn kernels on a hot skillet. But instead of popping, they get wrapped in a thin water film and turn into weightless beads. Wind catches them and carries them thousands of kilometers—from city puddles to mountain glaciers. The particles that fiercely repel water jump the highest: they bounce up several centimeters and can drift in the air.
Researchers have found a simple rule: how much plastic enters the atmosphere depends on the force of the drop's impact and the 'water-hating' nature of the particles. This helps predict what we breathe after a downpour. The same mechanism works when drops hit sand—this is how rain erodes shores and transports soil.
🎯 Plastic particles that fiercely repel water can jump up several centimeters and float in the air like miniature balloons.