Microplastics consist of tiny pollutants that often elude detection, until scientists recently found that they can be snatched from the air by spider webs just like flies.
Researchers at Germany’s University of Oldenburg examined the webs of spiders for microplastics for the first time, and determined that their sticky, silken strands are ideal for monitoring microplastic pollution in urban environments.
Various studies had already determined that other air pollutants, such as magnetic particles and heavy metals are caught in spider webs.
