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Hurricane Larry Released Microplastics All Over Canada

In the wake of Hurricane Larry’s fury on Newfoundland in 2021, a team of university students from Halifax embarked on a journey to explore the potential airborne transport of microplastics.

Lead researcher Anna Ryan, a master’s student in environmental science at Dalhousie University, and her colleague conducted a groundbreaking study, the findings of which were published last week in the prestigious journal Nature. Their investigation focused on the rural area of St. Michaels, Newfoundland, a community of fewer than 300 residents situated on the Avalon Peninsula, directly in Hurricane Larry’s path.

To test their hypothesis, the researchers set up a large glass cylinder, essentially collecting air samples before, during, and after the storm over six-hour intervals. The most startling revelation came from the samples collected during Hurricane Larry, which exhibited a microplastic concentration exceeding 100,000 particles per square meter per day. Ryan described this figure as unprecedented in the realm of atmospheric microplastic studies.

Microplastics, fragments smaller than five millimeters resulting from the breakdown of larger plastic items or the shedding of particles from various sources like water bottles, plastic packaging, and synthetic clothing, pose a growing threat to global environments. While the ocean is often considered the ultimate repository for microplastics, Ryan’s research challenges this notion.

The microscopic particles collected during the study were 20 to 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair, making them particularly concerning due to their easy inhalation or ingestion. The potential risks to human and animal health, as well as overall ecosystem well-being, remain areas of ongoing investigation.

Hurricane Larry provided a unique opportunity for the researchers as it followed a trajectory far offshore of the eastern seaboard, avoiding major urban areas typically considered significant sources of airborne microplastics. However, it traversed ocean regions, including the North Atlantic “garbage patch” south of Newfoundland, where currents concentrate high plastic concentrations at the surface.

Notably, microplastics were detected in all 11 samples collected throughout the experiment. The levels before and after the hurricane were relatively consistent, averaging 20,000 particles per square meter per day. In contrast, peak levels during the hurricane surpassed five-and-a-half times that amount.

According to Tony Walker, a professor at Dalhousie’s School for Resource and Environmental Studies and a co-author on the paper, there are few studies globally that match the scope and depth of this research. The findings reinforce the pervasive presence of microplastics across Earth’s environmental compartments, underlining the importance of this work.