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Fibers spreading worldwide: Microplastics and other anthropogenic litter in an Arctic freshwater lake
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Microplastics and other anthropogenic fibers were found in the sediments of an Arctic freshwater lake at Ny-Alesund in Svalbard, with polyester fibers confirmed by synchrotron infrared spectroscopy at concentrations of about 90 microplastics per square meter of rock surface. The findings demonstrate that plastic fiber pollution reaches even remote polar lakes, most likely transported by atmosphere.
We investigated the presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic litter in the sediments adhered to rocks of an Arctic freshwater lake at Ny-Ålesund (Svalbard Archipelago, 78°N; 11°E). Most of the sampled microparticles were fibers (>90%). The identification of polymer types and additives was performed by combining three spectroscopic techniques, namely Raman Microscopy, Fourier-Transform Infrared microspectroscopy (μFTIR) and Synchrotron Radiation μFTIR (SR-FTIR). SR-FTIR confirmed the presence of poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers, while RAMAN spectroscopy provided evidence of fibers containing industrial additives. Our results estimated an average concentration of 400 microparticles/m of rocks identified as anthropogenic litter, which included an estimation of 90 microplastics/m identified as polyester fibers; the rest are mostly natural fibers with evidence of anthropogenic origin. Taken together, the results proved the occurrence of anthropogenic pollutants in remote polar areas. Their probable origin is the long range atmospheric transport.
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Microplastics were detected in surface waters of a northern European lake, with concentrations, size distributions, and polymer types characterized across multiple sampling sites and seasons. The study adds to growing evidence that even relatively pristine boreal lakes are contaminated with microplastics, likely from atmospheric deposition and tributary inflow.
Atmospheric microplastics in the Arctic Region: An examination of deposited and suspended atmospheric microplastics in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard
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Researchers measured atmospheric microplastic deposition and suspension in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, finding microplastics in both deposited and airborne samples from this remote High Arctic location and characterizing dominant polymer types and potential source regions.
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Microplastic in snow from European and Arctic sites
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Microplastics and fibers were found in snow from Arctic sea ice, Svalbard, Helgoland, Bavaria, and the Swiss Alps — identified by FTIR imaging — with Arctic concentrations significantly lower than European snow but still substantial. The study demonstrates atmospheric long-range transport of microplastics, including rubber and varnish particles, to remote environments far from pollution sources.
Microplastic and Fibre Contamination in a Remote Mountain Lake in Switzerland
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.