Isolation, Quantification, and Characterization of Microplastics in Atmospheric Fallout Across Different Areas of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Authors

• Muhammad Rizwan, Department of Zoology, University of Okara, Punjab, PakistanFollow
• Aqib Javed, Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Management, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UKFollow
• Muhammad Javed Islam, Department of Zoology, University of Okara, Punjab, PakistanFollow
• Kashif Riaz, Department of Zoology, University of Okara, Punjab, PakistanFollow
• Asif Bilal, Department of Biological Sciences, Superior University Lahore, PakistanFollow
• Muhammad Nasir, Department of Zoology, University of Okara, Punjab, PakistanFollow
• Ayesha Ali, Department of Zoology, University of Okara, Punjab, PakistanFollow

Abstract

Microplastics have become widely dispersed in our environment, and even in the air we breathe. The present research aims at identifying and determining the amounts of microplastics present in atmospheric fallout over Lahore city, which is characterized by a large population and several manufacturing industries. In order to find out the existence of microplastics, samples of atmospheric fallout were collected from various sites across hustling municipalities of Lahore that included urbanized settlements. The analysis disclosed that there are various forms of microplastic fibers, fragments and granules indicating different sources of pollution. The identified ones varied from 114.485 µm to 2034.731 µm indicating mixture of primary and secondary atmospheric microplastics level presence in Lahore region which need more intensive studies due to their health impacts as well as their pathways and sources in urban areas. This study provides very important baseline information on understanding microplastic pollution in Lahore city while stressing on development strategies for minimizing their further movement into the outer space.

Article History

Received: Sep 19, 2025; Accepted: Mar 19, 2026; Published: June 30, 2026.

Recommended Citation

Rizwan, M., Javed, A., Islam, M. J., Riaz, K., Bilal, A., Nasir, M., & Ali, A. (2026). Isolation, Quantification, and Characterization of Microplastics in Atmospheric Fallout Across Different Areas of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, Journal of Bioresource Management, 13 (2).