Dissecting giant hailstones: A glimpse into the troposphere with its diverse bacterial communities and fibrous microplastics

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158786
• Publication Date: 2022-09-16T03:27:12Z
• Authors: Marko Kozjek; Damjan Vengust; Tina Radošević; Gregor Žitko; Simon Koren; Nataša Toplak; Ivan Jerman; Matej Butala; Matejka Podlogar; Manca Kovač Viršek
• Keywords: microplastics; Bacteria; Microplastics; atmospheric microbiology; info:eu-repo/classification/udc/502/504; 13. Climate action; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; hailstone; Environmental Pollutants; environmental pollution; metagenome analysis; Plastics; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Environmental Monitoring

The formation of giant hailstones is a rare weather event that has devastating consequences in inhabited areas. This hazard been occurring more frequently and with greater size recent years, thus needs to be better understood. While the generally accepted mechanism thought process similar smaller but exceptional duration stronger updrafts, evidence suggests biotic abiotic factors also influence growth these unusually large ice chunks. In this study, we improved findings by determining distribution wide variety throughout hail volume expanding search include new particles are common environment anthropogenic origin. We melted concentric layers several fell ground over small region Slovenia 2019. samples, up 13 cm diameter, were analyzed for constituents could have influenced their formation. Using 16S rRNA-based metagenomics approaches, identified highly diverse bacterial community, using scanning electron microscopy Raman spectroscopy, found natural synthetic fibers concentrated cores hailstones. For first time, able detect existence microplastic determine changes sand within samples. Our results suggest composition great diversity important should considered research. It appears microfiber pollutants significant factor study.