What is Plastic Rain New Zealand Auckland witnessed this and what about India

Have you heard of Plastic Rain? Research has been going on about this, but plastic rain has now become a reality. According to a study, in the year 2020, in the city of Auckland, New Zealand, about 74 metric tons of microplastics reached the atmosphere from the sky through rain, which is equivalent to about 3 million plastic bottles. New Zealand’s University of Auckland has said this in its research. This study, which lasted around 9 weeks, revealed that more than 5,000 microplastics lie on every square meter of the city’s rooftops.

This study has been published in Environmental Science and Technology, suggesting that this pollution in Auckland is being caused by the packaging material. The polyethylene used in packaging is a type of microplastic. Many other types of microplastics are also used in packaging. The study says that microplastics are now a major problem due to their presence in rainwater, our food chain and even in the oceans.

Microplastics are so fine that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. These are present in vehicle toys, our clothes, etc. After mixing with water, they reach the sea through rivers in the form of sewage and then reach our land in the form of rain. Although this study was conducted in Auckland, the concern is for the whole world, including India, because if microplastics reach the ground from the sky in New Zealand, then their reach will be greater in a country like India. However, no such research has yet been done in India. Such studies have been carried out for cities such as London, Paris and the presence of microplastics in their environment has also come to light.

Scientific research even says that due to plastic rain, even empty places like the Arctic are affected. So how can Asian countries, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh stay out of this? According to media reports, studies on microplastics show that humans inhale 7,000 microplastics a day through their breath. It is just as dangerous as tobacco use and smoking. However, what the actual health effect due to microplastics is has yet to be revealed.