Frank J. Kelly

Microplastics (MPs) prevail in most atmospheric and environmental matrices with prolonged persistence and pose potential human health risks. This study investigates the presence of microplastics in street ambient air and deposited dust within the urban environments of three cities in Punjab Province, Pakistan. Samples were collected during the winter season with an active air sampler and a vacuum cleaner. The particles were analyzed through a stereomicroscope and Attenuated Total Reflectance- Fourier Transform Infrared Radiation (ATR-FTIR). The average mass concentration of total suspended particulate (TSP) ranged from 0.73-9.98 µg/m3, with airborne MPs abundance ranging from 5.2-19.8 p/m3 (10.1 ± 5.2 p/m3). Meanwhile, street-deposited dust samples demonstrated the abundance of MPs in the range of 153-4609 p/m2. High population and traffic density with low wind speed were found to be major causes of the high abundance of MPs. Further, fibrous-shaped particles with transparent/white color were prevalent in both studied matrices. Regarding size, the airborne particulates observed ranged from 35.3-67.9 µm. Whereas in deposited dust, a high abundance of coarser particles was observed, ranging between 250-500µm. Further, the polymer fingerprinting analysis revealed that synthetic particles as polyester/polyethylene terephthalate (PES/PET), polyisobutylene (PIB), and polyethylene (PE) were dominant in street dust, while cellulose and proteins were observed to be dominant in natural particles, ranging from 29-43%. The micro-climatic conditions, such as relative humidity and temperature, were observed to have a significant impact on the abundance of MPs (p>0.05). The daily intake of dust via accidental ingestion, hypothesized by estimated daily intake (EDIing) revealed relatively higher potential risk to toddlers (EDI: 0-1.53 p/Kg-BW/Day) as compared to other age groups (EDI: 0-0.06 p/Kg-BW/Day). This study enhances our understanding of MPs' pollution in the urban environment. However, further research is needed to investigate the impact of seasonal variations, housing characteristics, and other anthropogenic activities on MP abundance.

This study provides a unique deterministic modelling analysis of changes in air pollution in London between 2018 and 2023, during which the phased implementation of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and associated policies for road vehicles coincided with the abrupt and substantial disruption to activity caused by COVID-19. Using counterfactual emissions scenarios within a combined chemical transport and road traffic dispersion model, we estimate the separate effects of local government policy and COVID-19 on ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), PM10 and PM2.5 across the full period of ULEZ implementation and COVID-related restrictions. The methodology has broader international relevance for cities seeking to determine air pollution impacts of rapidly changing emissions conditions. Results show a sustained benefit of local transport policies on NO2 concentrations, the central area showing differences of between 2.18 and 3.21 µg.m-3 at urban background across the six-year period, and larger areas of the city showing improvements in NO2 concentrations as the scheme expanded. Impacts on PM were small at well under 0.5 µg.m-3 across all areas and years. The COVID-19 pandemic had a larger, shorter-term impact on both NO2 and PM; most notably, PM2.5 was reduced in central London by 1.52 µg.m-3 in 2020 at the height of COVID restrictions, but 5.25 µg.m-3 in 2021 when local restrictions were slightly more relaxed, as concentrations were influenced heavily by meteorology-dependent long-range transport. Taken together this demonstrates how local measures can effectively reduce NO2 to a large extent, but controlling PM levels requires coordinated international measures.

Plastics are everywhere in modern life, from clothing and packaging to medical supplies and electronics. Their usefulness comes with a major downside: plastics do not break down easily and often escape into the environment, where they fragment into tiny microplastics and nanoplastics that spread through water, air, soils, and even living organisms. Plastic pollution and climate change are tightly linked. Plastics are made from fossil fuels, and greenhouse gases are released when they are produced, transported, and burned as waste. Climate change then makes plastic pollution worse, as hotter temperatures, stronger storms, and melting ice release more plastics into ecosystems. In this article, we will explain these connected problems and how they can stress wildlife, damage ecosystems, and even threaten human health. We will also explore possible solutions—like recycling, reusing, and new clean-up methods—that are especially important for your generation.

Of the numerous anthropogenic pressures that are being exerted on ecosystems globally, plastic pollution and climate change are potentially the most pressing. This is particularly true when they co-occur as joint stressors. These are interlinked with respect to their root cause (the overconsumption of finite resources) and their effects in natural and anthropogenic systems and processes. This review focuses on a growing area of research into how climate change can, by transforming plastic pollution from a reversible to a poorly reversible contaminant, exacerbate the abundance, distribution, exposure, and impacts of plastics and associated chemicals in our waters, soils, biota, and atmosphere. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that climate change and plastic pollution can have significant and often interactive ecological effects, particularly among the higher trophic levels within the food web. The rational response to confront these effects is to address the pollution at source by rapidly and meaningfully reducing emissions into the environment. We discuss challenges but also solutions, through future research, policies and public awareness, that must harness the same enthusiasm that made plastic a fundamental cornerstone of the modern world in the first place. The threat that plastics produced, used and discarded today could cause global-scale impacts in the future is compelling motivation to take appropriate action now.

Air pollution, a leading environmental health risk, claims millions of lives yearly, impacting health across the lifespan. Despite widespread acknowledgement of air pollution-related disease burdens, eliminating air pollution remains challenging. Many regions are reliant on fossil fuels or biomass for basic survival, and developed economies striving to reduce air pollution face persistent barriers. Climate change complicates intervention efforts, as rising temperatures and extreme weather (for example, wildfires, dust storms) intensify air pollution. Traditional interventions may falter under worsening climate conditions, requiring integrated mitigation, adaptation and resilient infrastructure to yield environmental and health benefits. In this narrative Review, we evaluate multilevel interventions at the national, community and individual levels, discussing what works and does not work, with illustrative case examples. No single intervention suffices; efficacy depends on context, shaped by enforcement and equity. Integrated strategies are needed to address the root causes of air pollution and mitigate the devastating health impacts.