Facts: Microplastic
Microplastic is a collective name for small plastic fragments that are up to five millimeters. It can be made as microplastic or formed during wear or degradation of plastic.
More than 150 million tonnes of plastic float in the oceans. Every year, the amount of plastic increases by between 5 and 13 million tonnes. The plastic rubbish, which for example consists of plastic articles and fishing gear, is fragmented into microplastics and depending on the type of plastic, temperature and exposure to sunlight, the decomposition can take several hundred years.
The long degradation time meant that the amount of microplastic will increase for a long time even after the supply of new plastic has ceased.
Source: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
From the top of Mount Everest to the depths of the oceans – microplastics are now found virtually everywhere on earth. They have previously been found in Antarctic waters and ice, but now they have been found in freshly fallen snow there for the first time, reports The Guardian.
The microplastics were found in all samples collected by New Zealand researchers at 19 locations in Antarctica. On average, there were 29 particles per liter of melted snow – more than what has previously been found in the area’s water.
The results are published in the scientific journal The Cryosphere.
“Incredibly boring”
Prior to the expedition, the researchers were optimistic and did not think they would find microplastics in such remote locations.
“It’s incredibly sad, but finding microplastics in Antarctic fresh snow highlights the extent of plastic pollution even in the most remote parts of the world,” said Alex Aves, one of the researchers at the University of Canterbury, according to The Guardian.
Microplastics are formed during the decomposition of larger pieces of plastic and may be impossible to see with the naked eye.
The researchers identified 13 different types of plastics, the most common of which was polyethylene terephthalate which is used, for example, in PET bottles and clothing.
Contributes to heating
Modeling shows that the microplastics may have traveled to Antarctica thousands of miles through the air. But the most likely source is people who have lived in Antarctica, according to the researchers.
Microplastics can be harmful to both animals and plant life – and also contribute to climate change. Among other things, dark microplastic can absorb sunlight and contribute to local heating, according to the researchers.
– We still learn a lot about the effects, but what we know so far is not very good, says researcher Laura Revell.