It is not uncommon for synthetic fibers to be found in various environments, including the Antarctic. This is likely due to the fact that plastic pollution is becoming a global issue and the fibers can be transported long distances by wind, water, and other means. The Antarctic, being a remote and “pristine” continent, is now also being affected by this pollution.
This week, marine and forensic experts publish fresh findings that demonstrate the presence of synthetic plastic fibers in air, saltwater, soil, and sea ice samples in the Antarctic Weddell Sea, as nations gather in Uruguay to discuss a new Global Plastics Treaty. The field research was undertaken during an expedition to discover Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance. The results are published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
Fibrous polyesters, primarily from textiles, were found in all samples. The majority of microplastic fibers discovered were in Antarctic air samples, suggesting that seabirds and animals living there may be breathing them in.
‘The issue of microplastic fibres is also an airborne problem reaching even the last remaining pristine environments on our planet,’ stated co-author Professor Lucy Woodall, University of Oxford, Nekton Principal Scientist. ‘Synthetic fibres are the most prevalent form of microplastic pollution globally and tackling this issue must be at the heart of the Plastic Treaty negotiations.’ Professor Woodall was the first to reveal the prevalence of plastic in the deep sea in 2014.
According to a modeling investigation of air trajectories, regions with more fibers were linked to winds coming from southern South America. The finding shows that, contrary to what was previously believed, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and its accompanying polar front do not serve as an impenetrable barrier that would have kept microplastics out of the Antarctic region.
‘Ocean currents and winds are the vectors for plastic pollution to travel across the globe and even to the remotest corners of the world,’ shared Nuria Rico Seijo, Nekton Research Scientist, Oxford, the co-lead author of the research. ‘The transboundary nature of microplastic pollution provides more evidence for the urgency and importance of a strong international plastic pollution treaty.’
The scientists also found that sea ice had a far higher concentration of microplastics than the other sample types. According to research, every year as the sea-ice layer forms, microplastics are trapped.
Our use of forensic science approaches had two important benefits; improved methods for both the reduction and monitoring of possible procedural contamination in the samples, and also more detailed characterisation of the microplastics, beyond just polymer type, allowing for better understanding of the number of possible sources. We would encourage future studies to harness these forensic approaches to ensure more robust data is gathered.
Professor Claire Gwinnett
‘Sea ice is mobile, can travel vast distances and reach the permanent ice shelves of the Antarctica continent where it can be trapped indefinitely with its gathered microplastic pollutants,’ shared Dr. Mánus Cunningham, Nekton Research Scientist, Oxford, the co-lead author of the research.
‘We believe the acquisition of microplastics in the multi-year sea ice combined with its seasonal changes could also be considered a temporary sink and one of the main transporters of microplastics within the Antarctic region,’ concluded Dr. Cunningham.
Extensive research was also conducted on sediment samples retrieved at depths ranging from 323 to 530 metres below the sea’s surface during the Weddell Sea Expedition.
‘Our discovery of microplastics in seabed sediment samples has revealed evidence of a plastic sink in the depths of the Antarctic waters,’ said Professor Woodall. ‘Yet again we have seen that plastic pollution is being transported great distances by wind, ice, and sea currents. The results of our research collectively demonstrate the vital importance of reducing plastic pollution globally.’
The scientific and forensic experts at Nekton’s Oxford University and collaborating laboratories (Staffordshire University, University of Cape Town, and Nelson Mandela University) used a range of investigative methods to analyse the samples in the study. These include optical (Polarised Light Microscopy), chemical (Raman Spectrometry) investigative technologies and even a specialist adhesive “crime scene” tape to identify the polymer type. The modelling analysis used a method called Air Mass Back Trajectory analysis.
‘Our use of forensic science approaches had two important benefits; improved methods for both the reduction and monitoring of possible procedural contamination in the samples, and also more detailed characterisation of the microplastics, beyond just polymer type, allowing for better understanding of the number of possible sources. We would encourage future studies to harness these forensic approaches to ensure more robust data is gathered,’ said Professor Claire Gwinnett, Staffordshire University.
The research team claims that the results increase the need for an international convention that is legally enforceable to stop microplastics from entering the ecosystem, particularly the oceans. Ahead of the Global Plastic Treaty discussions, they call on policy makers to:
- Create a strong global plastics pact that builds on regional and national measures to reduce plastic pollution and production internationally;
- Align plastic reduction efforts with environmental and socioeconomic goals to produce a variety of societal benefits;
- Give local communities the tools they need to co-create and use programs that support complete life-cycle approaches to managing plastic trash.
They add that concerned individuals can also play their part by adopting simple lifestyle habits to reduce synthetic microfibre pollution. These include:
- Fill your washing machine: more space to move around in the wash results in microfibres falling off.
- Wash at 30C: gentle cycles and lower temperatures decreases microfibre shedding.
- Ditch the dryer: tumble dryers generate about 40 times more microfibers than washing machines.
- Microfibre capture for washing machines, e.g. GuppyFriend (https://guppyfriend.com) or Coraball (https://www.coraball.com).
- Choose natural fibres, e.g. organic natural fibres like cotton, linen, hemp.
- Avoid microfibre cleaning cloths use natural alternatives.
- Wash textiles less!
It is important to note that synthetic fibers can have negative effects on the local wildlife and ecosystem, and steps should be taken to reduce the amount of plastic pollution in the environment.
