Antarctica was thought to be relatively far from human influence due to its extreme climate, general absence of human presence, and distance from inhabited areas. Unfortunately, this idea is not as true as one might think. An Antarctic research expedition found microplastics in the continent’s water, air and sediment, indicating a much higher-than-expected level of pollution.Synthetic textile products make up the majority of microplastics.
Ocean research startup Nekton has partnered with forensic scientists at the University of Oxford to study microplastic pollution in the Weddell Sea, one of Antarctica’s most remote areas. During an expedition in 2019, scientists collected samples of Weddell Sea air, ground seawater, sea ice, and benthic (underwater) sediment.
The team used a polarized light microscope to examine each of the 82 samples they collected for microplastics. Each sample contained some form of microplastic impurity. The polyester fibers most commonly used in the manufacture of synthetic textiles were by far the most common, present in 60 percent of the samples.
Most of the other contaminants were found to be pieces of nylon, polypropylene and acrylic of varying shapes and colours. Most microplastics are thought to have come via the wind, although the team believes some of these originated from nearby research ships or from fishing gear used by fleets in the neighboring Scotia Sea.
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