We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Preliminary investigations on microplastic and microfiber pollution in NW Italian Alps glaciers
Summary
Researchers conducted preliminary investigations of microplastic and microfiber pollution at four glaciers in the NW Italian Alps, finding that atmospheric transport delivers these micropollutants even to remote high-altitude environments far from urban sources.
Microplastics (MPs) and microfibers (MFs) are a global problem, contaminating even remote regions. Atmospheric transport is one of the factors that most contributes to bring these micropollutants even to non-urbanized areas, such as glaciers; therefore, monitoring in extreme environments is useful to understand the severity of the problem in high-altitude environments. Within the project Glacier Lab of the DIATI, Politecnico di Torino, preliminary investigations in Mont Gelé, Indren, Whimper, and Rutor Glaciers, NW Italian Alps, were done to understand MP and MF pollution. Samples were collected at different depths to understand pollutant deposition in time. Collected samples were pre-treated with H₂O₂ and filtered. Particles on filters were counted and characterized with microscopy techniques and image analysis using LibreCAD. Preliminary results indicated that MPs and MFs were present in all examined samples. Micropollutants abundances increased considering smaller size, and micropollutant abundances seem not to be related with the sampled depth. However, these data could be affected by several factors such as seasonal variations, weather, and snow fusion, therefore, other detailed analyses will be needed. These preliminary analyses allowed to find different problematics, useful to the improvement of the methodologies for future sampling, such as how to standardize volumes of samples and stratigraphic intervals, make a correct pretreatment of samples for organic matter removal, and optimize image analysis. In future, targeted sampling of different glaciers and spectroscopic analyses for material composition identification will be done, together with a monitoring of micropollutants transported by atmospheric currents. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559360/document
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Preliminary investigations on microplastic and microfiber pollution in NW Italian Alps glaciers
Researchers conducted preliminary investigations of microplastic and microfiber contamination in four glaciers of the NW Italian Alps — Mont Gelé, Indren, Whimper, and Rutor — collecting samples at multiple depths to capture temporal deposition trends. Using H2O2 pretreatment and microscopy with image analysis, they found microplastics and microfibers in all samples with concentrations increasing at smaller particle sizes.
Spatial distribution of microplastic contamination on alpine glaciers
Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in the supraglacial debris of 13 Alpine glaciers spanning Italy, France, Switzerland, and Austria, collecting 70 debris samples to investigate atmospheric deposition as the primary mechanism by which microplastics reach these remote high-altitude environments.
Spatial distribution of microplastic contamination on alpine glaciers
Researchers examined microplastic contamination in supraglacial debris from 13 glaciers across the Alps in Italy, France, Switzerland, and Austria, collecting 70 surface samples between 2020 and 2022. They found putative microplastics in every sample with a mean of 14 items per sample, with one glacier showing significantly higher anthropogenic particle concentrations than others, consistent with atmospheric transport as the primary input mechanism.
Microplastic contamination of supraglacial debris differs among glaciers with different anthropic pressures
Researchers found that microplastic contamination in supraglacial debris varied significantly among three glaciers in the Italian Alps, with levels correlating to proximity of human activity and tourism pressure, confirming that anthropogenic influence shapes microplastic deposition even in remote high-mountain environments.
Microplastic pollution in mountain terrains and foothills: A review on source, extraction, and distribution of microplastics in remote areas
This review examines microplastic pollution in mountain terrains and foothills, finding that atmospheric transport and tourism are major sources, with snow samples containing the highest concentrations compared to streams or ice cores.