Scientists from the University of Tasmania have discovered evidence of microplastics in an ice core drilled in 2009. They found a total of 96 microscopic plastic particles in the 3.5-foot long block of sea ice.
More than 34% of the particles found were polyethylene polymers, which are used in forming grocery bags, plastic bottles, and children's toys. Algae surrounded the plastic found, and scientists believe that krill may have feasted on the ice, possibly consuming the tiny particles of plastic as well.
Similar microplastic pollution has also been previously discovered on the surface of Antarctic waters, sediment, and snow. The discovery is proof that human pollution has now reached even the remote areas on Earth, affecting even the tiniest of creatures.
The study was published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.
Culprits in the Form of Plastic
Fourteen various types of plastic were found in the sample of ice, and a dozen individual pieces of plastic were found per liter.
The most commonly found polymer was polyethylene, which includes LDPE and HDPE fragments. These are commonly used to make different types of material goods, from bottles to window frames. Polyethylene accounts for more than 34% of all the fragments found.
The next most commonly found polymers were polypropylene and polyamide. It accounts for 15 and 14 percent, respectively. A total of 96 particles, which fit the criteria of being a microplastic, were discovered. Microplastics measure about 5 millimeters or shorter.
Research by US-based researchers on ice fields during an 18-day icebreaker expedition through the Northwest Passage uncovered evidence of plastic. However, the pieces of plastic found by the Australian team in Antarctica were more massive than the parts seen in the north. Researchers believe that pollution likely came from a local source.
The Consequence of Pollution
In 2017, the United Nations reported that there are more than 51 trillion microplastic particles in the sea. This figure is more than 500 times the number of stars in the Milky Way.
Different from plastic bags, swimming gear, and other macroplastic waste, microplastics are tricky because they are invisible and cannot be seen by the naked eye. The study of microplastics and their effects is still brand new, and not a lot is known about it.
Associate Professor Delphine Lannuzel said that sea ice is a habitat for scouring creatures such as krill. He adds that krill defines everything else in the food chain and relies on sea ice algae for nourishment.
With ice algae now possibly contaminated with microplastics, it can be easy to assume that plastic could accumulate in the systems of various marine life like whales, Lannuzel adds.
Earlier this month, research emerged from the American Chemical Society, which found that lobsters can eat and break down some microplastics. This then releases tinier fragments into the water that other deep-sea organisms could ingest, posing a threat to their health.
This proves that a 'secondary chain' of occurrences, pertaining to microplastics, can cause a dangerous domino effect on the hierarchy of animals.
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