Tiny particles containing metals such as aluminum, which are thought to have been used as components of rockets and satellites, have been found in the stratosphere around 2,<> meters in the sky, and the research team points out that they could affect the atmosphere and the ozone layer.
This research was published by a research team from the United States and other countries in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a global scientific journal, on the 16th.
In 22 and 23 years, the research team flew in the stratosphere at an altitude of around 2,1 meters in a special aircraft and collected fine particles in the atmosphere, about 1/<>,<>th of a millimeter in diameter.
A detailed analysis of this revealed that it contained metals such as aluminum, copper, lead, and lithium.
These metals are used as parts of rockets and satellites, and some metals were rarely found in the particulates collected before.
The team believes that rockets and satellites entered the atmosphere and became hotter, turning the evaporated metal into fine particles.
The number of satellites launched around the Earth has increased rapidly in recent years, and the team notes that fine particles containing metals could have some effect on the Earth's atmosphere and ozone layer.