New Delhi, May 5 -- Microplastics, once treated as a purely terrestrial and oceanic contamination crisis, are now being reassessed as a potential atmospheric climate driver. A growing body of research suggests that these particles, suspended in air currents across continents, may not only travel vast distances but also interact with solar radiation in ways that slightly but measurably contribute to atmospheric warming.

Scientists referenced in recent peer-reviewed climate literature, including work published in leading journals such as Nature, argue that microplastics can absorb sunlight and re-emit it as heat, introducing a previously unaccounted-for component into climate modeling systems. While their impact is still considered seconda...