Microplastics Discovered in Europe's Largest Ice Cap Can Be Distributed Through the Atmosphere

Scientists from Reykjavik University (RU), the University of Gothenburg, and the Icelandic Meteorological Office found microplastics in the remote and pristine area of Europe's largest ice cap.

In their paper, entitled "Microplastics in Glaciers: First Results from the Vatnajökull Ice Cap" published in the journal Sustainability, they described the microplastics they found at the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland as the first time to be discovered in the area.

According to the report of Eurasia Review, researchers visualized and identified microplastics of various sizes in the Vatnajökull glacier using optical microscopy and μ-Raman spectroscopy.

Puzzling Microplastics Distribution

The findings of the study confirm that microplastics are distributed through the atmosphere. Researchers are unsure of how microplastics reached the remote and pristine location of Europe's largest ice cap that is not easily accessed and far from pollution brought by human activity.

"We do not understand well enough the pathways for microplastic particles in our environment. Is the plastic carried by snow and rain? We need to know more about the causes," said study first author Dr. Hlynur Stefansson, associate professor at the RU Department of Engineering.

She added that it is important to understand microplastics distribution and its short- and long-term effects on ice dynamics, whether they contribute to the melting of glaciers or not.

If it affects the melting of glaciers, it will play a crucial part in the future meltwater distribution to bodies of water and the rising sea levels.

Microplastics degrade at an extremely slow rate in the cold glacier, which means they can accumulate and persist in the ice caps for a very long time, Earth.com reported.

However, it will eventually be released from the ice caps and contribute to the pollution in rivers and the marine ecosystem.

"It is therefore very important to map and understand the presence and dispersal of microplastics in glaciers on a global scale," Dr. Stefansson pointed out.

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Microplastics in Ice

Previous studies have found microplastics in various places that no one would expect at first, such as the placenta, fish or food, cosmetics, and in cold environments like glaciers or ice caps.

Presently, studies have shown that microplastics are found in Italian Alps, in the Ecuadorian Andes, and icebergs at Svalbard.

According to a previous report of Science Times, microplastics are found in the Antarctic sea ice, which poses a risk to marine animals and the creatures at the base of the food chain.

The report said that around 34% of the microplastic particles were made of polyethylene polymers. These chemicals are used in the production of plastic grocery bags, plastic bottles, and children's toys.

Scientists have noticed that these microplastics were surrounded by algae, an indication that krill may have feasted on the ice and could have possible consumed the microplastic particles as well as the plastic itself.

The presence of microplastics could harm the food chain in which those in the higher levels could eat those in the lowest levels, who possibly consumed these harmful plastics.