In 2021, when hurricane Larry hit Newfoundland and Labrador, it brought intense rain and wind, along with millions of microplastic particles originating from the Atlantic Ocean, according to researchers from Dalhousie University.
Professor Tony Walker described the unique opportunity Larry offered researchers, as it passed through a patch of the North Atlantic where thousands of tonnes of garbage accumulate, differentiating it from other hurricanes that typically pass through the Caribbean and then through the United States.
Two students, Anna Ryan and Amber LeBlanc, collected rainwater from Larry using a glass container to prevent contamination, as well as wearing cotton clothing to avoid plastic pollution. The storm made landfall near Great Bona Cove as a Category 1 hurricane on Sept. 11, 2021, with winds of 130 kilometres per hour and gusts more than 180 km/h.
The researchers collected rainwater samples between Sept. 9 and Sept. 12 of that year, taking new samples every six hours for a total of eleven. They collected an average of 20,000 microplastic particles per square metre per day before and after Larry’s passing, with a significant jump to nearly 115,000 particles per square metre per day at the height of the storm.
The conclusions of the study were published in November in the scientific journal Nature, recognizing the importance of understanding the prevalence of microplastic pollution and its potential impact on human health and ecosystems.