Funes hail analysis detects microplastics and metals

Preliminary analyses of hail collected in Funes, Santa Fe, have detected the presence of microplastics, various chemical elements, and metals. The investigation was prompted by local producers observing that some hail stones remained partially unmelted for 24 to 48 hours, despite subsequent temperatures reaching 27 °C.

Three independent laboratories, located in Rosario and Córdoba, identified a range of substances including calcium, potassium, sodium, aluminum, arsenic, barium, boron, chromium, strontium, magnesium, nitrates, silver, silicon, iodine, and zinc, alongside microplastic particles.

Experts, including epidemiologist Ramiro Salazar Cisneros, emphasize that these results are preliminary and do not yet determine the origin of the particles or suggest artificial weather intervention. Further research is required, including larger sample sizes, repeated analyses over longer periods, and the study of air, water, and soil to determine if this is an isolated incident or a widespread atmospheric phenomenon.