Study Finds Large Amount of Microplastics in Arctic Snow
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Microplastic particles in toothpaste. Wikimedia photo.
We've been hearing a lot about microplastics in the ocean, but a recently-released study has indicated that microplastics (MPs) are also making their way to alpine environments. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, compares the concentrations of MPs in snow from populated alpine environments (such as the Alps) to the concentrations of MPs in snow from remote regions of the Arctic.
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The study concluded that while snow from populated areas contains around ten times the amount of MPs as snow from the Arctic, there is still a concerning amount making its way up north. One of the study's major takeaways is that the plastic is being transported in the air, raising questions about the amount of MPs which humans might be ingesting via inhalation.
