Researchers from TU Darmstadt (Technical University of Darmstadt), Germany, have discovered that forests also accumulate microplastics and nanoplastics. Most of these particles travel through the air and are “combed out” by leaves — a process known as the “comb-out effect,” where trees act like giant brushes that trap airborne plastic particles.
When rain falls or leaves decompose, these plastics wash down into the soil and tend to accumulate in the layer of decaying leaves, making forests an important indicator of plastic pollution in the atmosphere.
In addition to the ongoing threats from climate change, forests are now facing microplastic contamination, which also poses potential health risks to humans, since it confirms that the very air we breathe contains microplastics.
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