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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Tom Perkins

Microplastics detected in clouds hanging atop two Japanese mountains

Japan's Mount Fuji, surrounded by clouds, is seen from an airplane.
Japan's Mount Fuji, surrounded by clouds, is seen from an airplane. Photograph: Toru Hanai/Reuters

Microplastics have been found everywhere from the oceans’ depths to the Antarctic ice, and now new research has detected it in an alarming new location – clouds hanging atop two Japanese mountains.

The clouds around Japan’s Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama contain concerning levels of the tiny plastic bits, and highlight how the pollution can be spread long distances, contaminating the planet’s crops and water via “plastic rainfall”.

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