@nowthisearth

A new study from the University of Canterbury has discovered microplastics in freshly fallen snow in Antarctica. This is the first time the tiny plastics have been found in fresh snowfall. Previously, plastics have been found in the Antarctic sea ice and surface water. Researchers took 19 samples of snow from the Ross Ice Shelf, the largest ice shelf in Antarctica, and found microplastics in every sample. The study, published in the scientific journal The Cryosphere, found an average of 29 microplastic particles per liter of melted snow. Of the 13 different types of plastic found, the most common was PET, which is often used to make soft drink bottles and clothing. This raises concerns on how microplastics affect the ecosystem, ice melt, and human health. Atmospheric modeling shows that the microplastics mentioned in the study might have traveled thousands of kilometers through the air—but it is likely the presence of humans in Antarctica that has contributed to the microplastic footprint. #environment #microplastics #plastics #antarctica