Green roofs can reduce microplastics in rainfall by 97.5%, new study finds

Green roofs can reduce microplastics in rainfall by 97.5%, new study finds

Green roofs can reduce microplastics in rainfall by 97.5%, new study finds Plant-filled rooftops, or green roofs, aren’t just pretty. They have been shown to reduce urban “heat island” effects, reduce energy costs in buildings, curb stormwater runoff, and provide safe havens for native species. And now a group of researchers from Tongji University in China have uncovered an unexpected benefit: Green roofs are also effective when it comes to capturing microplastics.  Microplastics are small fragments of plastic that are often smaller than 5 millimeters in size. They are increasingly found in the environment — the soil, water, and air — and even in our own bodies.  With the acknowledgment that green roofs can filter contaminants and excess nutrients, the researchers set out to see if they can filter microplastics in urban environments, too.  “These nature-based solutions can offer unexpected co-benefits in mitigating airborne pollution in densely built environments,” researcher Shuiping Chen…