What is in the snow pile? Microplastics and rink ice-shaving waste

Summary

When ice rinks get resurfaced (think Zamboni machines), the shaved-off ice and snow piles up as waste — and this research found that pile is loaded with tiny plastic particles, likely worn off from the resurfacer's blades and the rink surface itself. Since that snow often just gets dumped outside or down the drain, it's another route for microplastics to leak into our soil and water, adding to the broader mix of plastic pollution scientists are still working to understand the health effects of.