Plastic is already invading the Arctic Ocean

Each year, between 19 and 23 million tons of plastic waste are dumped in the world’s waters, the equivalent of two trucks dumping plastic into rivers, seas and oceans every minute. As a very stable compound, this contaminant accumulates in the oceans, where it gradually breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces and can even get into human blood.

The avalanche of debris is expected to worsen: world production of plastics could double by 2045. In this context, even the North Pole can not escape this global threat, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. This remote area, hitherto considered virgin, is now covered with an alarming level of plastic pollution.

Between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste are dumped into waters around the world each year.

According to Melanie Bergman, lead author of the paper and a researcher at the Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) at the Alfred Wegener Institute, there are three main ways for plastics: “Transportation from distant sources to the north. Sea and Atlantic currents, or across the Bering Sea north of the Pacific; In locally generated settlements that do not have solid waste management systems and wastewater treatment facilities; Or through the air, “he said.

The scientist told SINC that one of the goals of his team was to find out the origin of some of the remains trapped in the Arctic that had been collected during the campaign in the Svalbard Islands. They were assisted by labels or other inscriptions that were still marked on the plastics they were collecting. “Surprisingly, they also found Spanish rubbish, as well as waste from other European countries and even further away,” he said.

Ships, air and rivers carry pollution

The presence of significant amounts of micro and nanoplastics in Arctic snow and glaciers has highlighted air velocity as a means of transportation to reach this ocean.

In addition, although the Arctic Ocean accounts for only 1% of the world’s total volume, it receives more than 10% of global water from rivers that supply plastic to the ocean, for example from Siberia. .

Although the Arctic Ocean accounts for only 1% of the world’s total volume, it receives more than 10% of the global water discharge from rivers, which washes plastics into the ocean.

When seawater freezes off the Siberian coast in the fall, suspended microplastics fall into the ice. Transpolar drift drives ice streams into the Frame Strait, between Greenland and Svalbard, where it melts in the summer and is relieved of plastic loads.

On the other hand, some of the most important local sources of pollution are municipal waste and sewage from Arctic communities, as well as plastic waste from ships, especially fishing vessels, whose nets and ropes are a serious problem. Intentionally dumped in the ocean or inadvertently lost, they represent a large part of the plastic waste in the European Arctic sector. In fact, off the coast of Svalbard, according to research, almost 100% of the plastic mass washed ashore came from fishing.

The works also compared the concentration of plastics in other Arctic regions, such as the deep canyon of Lisbon and the seabed of Barcelona. “They had similar levels of marine debris compared to what we recorded on the seabed at our observatory, west of Svalbard, at a depth of about 2,500 meters,” Bergman said.

As for the levels of microplastics observed in the deep sea sediments at this observatory, it was much higher (up to 13000 microplastics per kg sediment) compared to the same methodology in the North Sea, closer to the fountains and industry.

The results of the study showed that although the Arctic is sparsely populated, almost all habitats have the same level of plastic pollution as the level of densely populated regions around the world.

Dark panorama between ice, water and snow

A research team of scientists from Canada, Norway and the Netherlands warns that the results are serious. Currently, almost all marine organisms studied in all the seas of the planet – from plankton to sperm whales – come into contact with plastic and microplastic waste.

These impacts add to the existing threats to these vulnerable ecosystems, which are experiencing temperatures rising three times faster than the rest of the planet.

“Unfortunately, very little research has been done on the effects of plastics on Arctic marine organisms,” explains Bergman. Also in the Arctic many animals – polar bears, seals, reindeer and seabirds – are wrapped in plastic and die. “Inadvertently ingested microplastics are likely to cause reduced growth and reproduction, physiological stress and inflammation in the tissues of marine animals.”

These impacts add to the existing threats to these vulnerable ecosystems, which are experiencing temperatures rising three times faster than the rest of the planet. “If the body releases food into the plastic and does not get energy from it, it will weaken. “If it continues, it will grow more slowly, produce fewer offspring and be more vulnerable to disease,” said the expert.

In addition, researchers warn of possible feedback effects between plastic waste and climate change. “In this regard, it is necessary to continue the investigation,” he said. “Research on this issue is still in its infancy, but early indications suggest that if plastic particles that are darker than sea ice and snow are dispersed in significant quantities, this could affect the reflective properties of the ice as shown. For example, for carbon black. “- Bergman tells SINC. As a result, sea ice absorbs more sunlight and therefore melts faster.

In turn, because of what is known as the ice albedo response, this could exacerbate global warming. Plastic particles in the atmosphere are the nuclei of condensation of clouds and rain, which means that they can affect weather patterns and, in the long run, the climate. In addition, during their life cycle, plastics are currently responsible for 4.5% of global greenhouse gases.

“This system is now shouting that we need to reduce plastic production and reduce plastic pollution quickly and efficiently. “Plastic that is already in the environment will break down into smaller and smaller particles, which will increase the level of plastic pollution, even if we stop the pollution today.”