They then used microscopy and infrared analysis to identify microplastics in the samples. From the Canadian Arctic, they collected samples from a depth of up to a thousand meters. In order to arrive at their findings, the team collected samples of near-surface seawater from Tromso, Norway to the North Pole - a distance of around 12 thousand miles. That means that this latest study will come as extremely disturbing news to environmental scientists. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Chemicals Agency define as being less than 5 mm in length.īecause the study of microplastics is very much an emerging field of study, NOAA says that the true impacts and potential environmental hazards of these small pieces of plastic are, as of yet, unknown⁴ but what is clear is that they pose a great threat to aquatic life. The researcher also indicates that atmospheric systems could also be a contributing factor.Ī microplastic is a plastic particle that the U.S. Ross goes on to explain to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that as of yet, the team is unsure of the mechanism responsible for distributing these synthetic fibers, but is reasonably certain that ocean currents play a major role in transporting the fibers northwards. Glossary of Terms Related to Greenhouse Gases, Global Warming and Climate Change.Report: Nine Million Deaths Attributable to Pollution in 2019.
How China is Tackling Plastic and Emission Pollution.Microplastics: Small Particles, Big ProblemsĪlthough scientists were already aware that plastic microparticles from human activities had infiltrated some of the most pristine and undisturbed regions of the planet - with microplastics found in areas as remote as the Mariana Trench and in the snow of the Pyrenees mountains - the paper shines a light on the shocking extent of this contamination. Ross is the lead author of a paper published in the journal Nature¹ that documents the team’s findings. Peter Ross, Ocean Wise and the University of British Columbia The striking conclusion here is that we now have strong evidence that homes in Europe and North America are directly polluting the Arctic with fibers from laundry - via wastewater discharge.ĭr. Of this proportion, a further 73% was polyester that the team found resembles synthetic textiles found in clothing.Īround 50% of our clothing is made up of plastic² and during a typical wash, a single piece of clothing can release up to 700,000 fibers³. Researchers from these organizations collected samples of seawater from across the Arctic, finding that a disturbing 92 percent of microplastic pollution present was synthetic fibers. That is the finding arrived at by the Ocean Wise conservation group, and Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The washing of clothes in households across Europe and North America could be having a significant impact on the number of microplastics in the world’s oceans. Researchers have discovered that microfibers from clothes are the most pervasive form of Arctic microplastic pollution.
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