Researchers have found microplastics in 20 of 21 snow samples taken from the Arctic. A study published in Science Advances analysed the microplastic content in the samples, comparing them to snow in the Swiss Alps and samples from Fram Strait ice floes. The researchers concluded that Arctic sea ice, which is melting at an unprecedented rate, contains more than twice as much microplastics per cubic metre compared with glaciers on land. Again, mechanisms other than atmospheric transport may be more important in PE transport to the Arctic. The majority of detected microplastic particles were in the smallest measurable size range, indicating there may be large amounts of particles below the detection limit. The particles' route to the Arctic is unclear, but atmospheric transport and deposition are likely methods.
Researchers have found microplastics in 20 of 21 snow samples taken from the Arctic. A study published in Science Advances analysed the microplastic content in the samples, comparing them to snow in the Swiss Alps and samples from Fram Strait ice floes. The researchers concluded that Arctic sea ice, which is melting at an unprecedented rate, contains more than twice as much microplastics per cubic metre compared with glaciers on land. The majority of detected microplastic particles were in the smallest measurable size range, indicating there may be large amounts of particles below the detection limit. The particles' route to the Arctic is unclear, but atmospheric transport and deposition are likely methods.