Microplastics, tiny particles smaller than a grain of rice, have been found in the freshly fallen snow of Antarctica for the first time. This alarming discovery has brought to light many pressing concerns regarding microplastics, global warming, and their ensuing implications on both the environment and human health.
Microplastics in Antarctica
Scientists collected samples from 19 different sites in the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica and discovered plastic particles present in all the samples. The variety of plastics found included 13 different types with PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), predominantly used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles and clothing, being the most common.
The average concentration was measured at 29 microplastic particles per litre of melted snow, which is comparatively higher than previous reports of marine concentrations from the surrounding Ross Sea and in Antarctic sea ice. These microplastics may have travelled thousands of kilometers through the air, or they could have been transported by human activity, demonstrating a pervasive human ‘footprint’ in even the most remote areas.
Potential Implications
Microplastics can carry harmful substances such as heavy metals and algae, allowing these dangerous species access into remote and sensitive areas. These particles are not only ingested by marine and other wildlife, leading to digestive tract blockages and altered feeding behaviors, but they also pose risks to human health. Microplastics can be inhaled and ingested by humans through the air, water, and food. High levels of ingested microplastics have the potential to cause harmful effects like cell death and allergic reactions.
Microplastics and Global Warming
Microplastics may contribute to the acceleration of global warming. Snowfields, ice caps, and glaciers around the world are already melting at alarming rates, and researchers suggest that dark-colored microplastics deposited in these locations can absorb sunlight, enhancing local heating. While clean snow packs and glaciers can reflect much of the sunlight, pollutants such as black carbon and microplastics only exacerbate melting rates.
The rapid thinning and retreat of glaciers pose a threat to water supplies and agriculture in mountain regions around the world and increase the risk of natural disasters like landslides and avalanches.
Understanding Microplastics
Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters in size. They include microbeads used in cosmetics and personal care products, industrial scrubbers used for aggressive blast cleaning, microfibers used in textiles, and virgin resin pellets used in plastic manufacturing processes.
Most microplastics result from the breakdown of larger pieces of plastic due to sun exposure or physical wear, leading to significant damage to aquatic creatures and birds.
Related Initiatives
Several initiatives have been launched to address the microplastic issue. India’s Prime Minister pledged in 2019 to eliminate all single-use plastic in India by 2022, starting with an immediate ban in urban Delhi. The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 state that every local body is responsible for setting up infrastructure for segregation, collection, processing, and disposal of plastic waste.
Un-Plastic Collective, launched by the UNEP-India, Confederation of Indian Industry and WWF-India, makes efforts to minimize the effects of plastics on ecological and social health. The Extended Producer Responsibility policy approach shifts responsibility for disposal of post-consumer products onto the producers.
Microplastics are rapidly becoming one of the most significant environmental challenges of our time. Tackling this issue requires combined global efforts and implementation of policies aimed at mitigating plastic waste.
