The Blaze
Microplastics have been found in freshly fallen snow in Antarctica for the first time in recorded history.
The Guardian reported that this unnatural development poses a distinct threat to the health of Antarctica’s unique ecosystems and could accelerate the melting of the continents ice and snow.
Microplastics — which are individually smaller than a grain of rice —have previously been found in Antarctic Sea ice and surface water but this is the first time in recorded history that they have been found in fresh snowfall.
Research conducted by Alex Aves, a PhD student from the University of Canterbury, and his supervisor Dr. Laura Revell, chronicled the recent phenomenon.
For his research, Aves collected snow samples from the Ross Ice Shelf in late 2019 to determine whether microplastics had been transferred rom the atmosphere into the snow. Until Aves conducted this research, there had been very little research about the presence of microplastics on the continent of Antarctica…
