Microplastics in the Arctic: a critical review of transport pathways, climate feedbacks, and governance frameworks

Plastics and Derived Contaminants in the Arctic

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Researchers reviewed how microplastics and nanoplastics are accumulating in Arctic marine environments and affecting wildlife, with findings relevant to biodiversity conservation in one of Earth's most sensitive and rapidly changing ecosystems.

Microplastics in Polar Samples

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Microplastics have been detected in polar samples including sea ice, water, sediments, and organisms, demonstrating that plastic contamination reaches even the most remote regions on Earth. This global dispersal confirms that no ecosystem is shielded from microplastic exposure, underscoring the scale of the pollution challenge.

Microplastics in Polar Samples

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Researchers reviewed what is known about microplastic contamination in polar environments — the Arctic and Antarctic — finding that despite their remoteness, these regions show measurable microplastic presence in water, ice, sediment, and wildlife. The findings suggest that atmospheric and ocean transport can carry microplastics to virtually every corner of the planet, including the most pristine environments.

Micro- and Nanoplastics: Its Impact on Antarctica and Similar Ecosystems

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This review documented the presence and impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in Antarctica, demonstrating that even the most remote continent on Earth is now measurably contaminated by plastic pollution. The findings confirm that microplastics are a truly global pollutant with no geographic refuge, carried by ocean currents and atmospheric transport to ecosystems previously considered pristine.

The fate and impacts of microplastics in marine systems