Microplastic threat grows: also detected in Antarctica

The danger of microplastics, which can cause great damage to cells and the natural environment, is growing day by day. Recently, microplastics, even found in human blood, have also been discovered in Antarctica.

in Antarctica even the presence of microplastics has been detected

The new research, published in The Cryosphere journal, is the kind that will scare everyone. Research by the University of Canterbury indicates the existence of microplastics in Antarctica. Although the research has just been published, the data was collected in 2019 and is pretty scary. Data collected at 19 different sites on Antarctica’s Ross Island shows the presence of microplastics in each site. “It’s incredibly sad, but finding microplastics even in fresh Antarctic snow reveals the extent of plastic pollution even in the most remote parts of the world,” said Alex Aves of the University of Canterbury.

According to the research, an average of one liter of melted snow contains 29 microrubber particles. This makes the microplastic content of Antarctic snow higher than the surrounding sea and sea ice. A total of 13 different microplastic particles were found throughout the study, but it was stated that the most common type of microplastic was polyethylene terepthalate (PET), which is used in clothes and plastic bottles. According to the researchers, it’s “equally likely” for microplastics to travel thousands of kilometers to Antarctica by air, or to arise as a result of little human presence in Antarctica. This research proves once again how widespread and frightening microplastic pollution can be.