Antarctica now sullied by plastic pollution

PLASTIC pollution has become so widespread that it has now reached the Antarctic, a study has found.

Earlier this year, a Greenpeace expedition took a range of samples from the sea and the snow to see how pollution was affecting Antarctica.

Analysis carried out by the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter revealed that microplastics were widespread in the area investigated.

“Using infrared methods, we found microplastics in seven of eight samples of surface seawater collected near the Antarctic Peninsula in February this year,” said Dr David Santillo, who led the analysis.

“Most of those microplastics were fibres, including polyester, polypropylene and nylon, among other materials. Whether they come mainly from local sources, such as shipping, or have been transported on currents from much further afield, remains to be seen.

“What is clear is that our plastic ‘footprint’ extends even to the ends of the Earth, to areas of the world that we may hope and expect to be pristine.”