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A plastic world: A review of microplastic pollution in the freshwaters of the Earth's poles
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This review compiles current knowledge on microplastic pollution in the freshwaters of the Arctic, Antarctica, and the Third Pole (high-altitude regions). Researchers found evidence of microplastics in lakes, rivers, snow, and glaciers across all three polar regions, demonstrating that plastic contamination has reached Earth's most remote freshwater environments through atmospheric and oceanic transport.
Microplastic (MP) pollution is of great environmental concern. MPs have been found all over the Earth, including in the poles, which is indicative for the important threat they constitute. Yet, while the ocean is object of major interest, the data available in the literature about MP pollution in the freshwaters of the Earth's poles are still limited. Here, we review the current knowledge of MP pollution in the freshwaters of the Arctic, Antarctica and Third Pole, and we assess its ecological implications. This review highlights the presence of MPs in the lakes, rivers, snow, and glaciers of the investigated sites, questions the transport patterns through which MPs reach these remote areas, and illustrates that MP pollution is a real problem not only in marine systems, but also in the freshwater environments of the Earth's poles. MPs can indeed be ingested by animals and can physically damage their digestive tracts, as well as escalate the trophic levels. MPs can also alter microbial communities by serving as surfaces onto which microbes can grow and develop, and can enhance ice melting when trapped in glaciers. Hence, considered the limited data available, we encourage more research on the theme.
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A review of microplastic contamination in the cryosphere
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This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic occurrence, sources, and transport in cryospheric environments including Antarctica, the Arctic, and high-altitude regions like the Andes and Alps. Microplastics reach these remote areas primarily via atmospheric and hydrological transport, accumulate in snow and ice as temporary sinks, and are released during melt events — threatening downstream ecosystems.
Microplastics in polar regions: An early warning to the world's pristine ecosystem
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This review summarized evidence for microplastic contamination in Arctic and Antarctic environments — including water, sea ice, sediment, and biota — characterizing polar regions as sinks for globally transported plastic particles and calling for improved monitoring to track long-term trends.
Microplastic pollution in the Himalayas: Occurrence, distribution, accumulation and environmental impacts
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This review documents microplastic contamination throughout the Himalayan region, from mountain glaciers and rivers to remote high-altitude locations. Microplastics reach these areas through wind, precipitation, tourism waste, and river transport, and can become trapped in glacial ice before being released during snowmelt. The findings show that even one of the most remote places on Earth is not free from microplastic pollution, with implications for the billions of people who depend on Himalayan rivers for drinking water.
Pollution Has No Borders: Microplastics in Antarctica
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This review documents the spread of microplastics throughout Antarctica -- in seawater, sediments, freshwater lakes, snow, glaciers, and marine organisms -- despite the continent having minimal local pollution sources. The findings demonstrate that microplastic contamination is truly global, reaching even the most isolated ecosystems on Earth through atmospheric and ocean currents.
Unveiling microplastics pollution in Alaskan waters and snow
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Microplastic occurrence was investigated in water bodies and snow samples from Alaska, a region where the extent and distribution of microplastics in terrestrial freshwater and drinking water sources had been unknown. The study provides baseline data on microplastic contamination in this Arctic and sub-Arctic region.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.