The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a plastic trash nightmare. It could also be part of a much bigger, hidden problem

[CNN reports](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/great-pacific-garbage-patch-plastic-150051594.html?ncid=redditnewsus) – Out in the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and California, is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a swirl of plastic trash more than twice the size of Texas. As pieces of plastic tumble against each other, they break down into particles tiny enough to be borne aloft on the wind. Once in the air, they have a climate impact that could affect us all, according to new research.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a significant source of airborne microplastics and nanoplastics, but there are many other places where tiny plastic particles can be whipped up into the skies, including from landfills, roadside litter and car tires.

A team of scientists from China and the US have studied the makeup and behavior of these plastics, and found they are contributing to global heating, according to the study published Monday in the journal Nature.