@article{discovery10183871,
         journal = {Environmental Pollution},
            year = {2024},
          volume = {343},
           title = {Microplastic pollution on historic facades: Hidden 'sink' or urban threat?},
           month = {February},
       publisher = {Elsevier BV},
            note = {This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.},
            issn = {0269-7491},
             url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123128},
        abstract = {Despite the increasing concerns surrounding the health and environmental risks of microplastics (MPs), the research focus has primarily been on their prevalence in air and the oceans, consequently neglecting their presence on urban facades, which are integral to our everyday environments. Therefore, there is a crucial knowledge gap in comprehending urban MP pollution. Our pioneering interdisciplinary study not only quantifies but also identifies MPs on historic facades, revealing their pervasive presence in a medium-sized urban area in the UK. In this case study, we estimated a mean density of 975,000 fibres/m?2 (0.10 fibres/mm?2) for fibre lengths between 30 and 1000 {\ensuremath{\mu}}m with a ratio of 1:5 for natural to artificial fibres.

Our research identifies three groups of fibre length frequencies across varied exposure scenarios on the investigated urban facade. Sheltered areas (4m height) show a high prevalence of 60-120 {\ensuremath{\mu}}m and 180-240 {\ensuremath{\mu}}m fibres. In contrast, less sheltered areas at 3m exhibit lower fibre frequencies but similar lengths. Notably, the lowest area (2-1.5m) features longer fibres (300-1000 {\ensuremath{\mu}}m), while adjacent area S, near a faulty gutter, shows no fibres, highlighting the impact of exposure, altitude, and environmental variables on fibre distribution on urban facades.

Our findings pave one of many necessary paths forward to determine the long-term fate of these fibres and provoke a pertinent question: do historic facades serve as an urban 'sink' that mitigates potentially adverse health impacts or amplifies the effects of mobile microplastics? Addressing MP pollution in urban areas is crucial for public health and sustainable cities. More research is required to understand the multi-scale factors behind MP pollution in large cities and to find mitigation strategies, paving the way for effective interventions and policies against this growing threat.},
          author = {Wilhelm, Katrin and Woor, Sam and Jackson, Michelle and Albini, Dania and Young, Neil and Karamched, Phani and Policarpo Wright, Miriam C and Grau-Bove, Josep and Orr, Scott Allan and Longman, Jack and de Kock, Tim}
}