Microplastics discovered in ‘pristine’ Pyrenees air

Tiny particles may have originated from as far away as North America, reports Tom Batchelor

The Pic du Midi Observatory, where air was collected using a pump (Pic du Midi)

Microplastics have been detected in otherwise pristine mountain air in the Pyrenees.

Researchers said the tiny particles, which can be harmful to animals and humans, may have originated from as far away as North America, having been blown thousands of miles across the Atlantic in air currents.

Microplastics are already a depressingly common feature of rivers, oceans, and snow, but until now they have not been found in the high-altitude air along the mountain range that separates France and Spain.