A team of researchers from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and the National University of La Plata (UNLP) confirmed alarming information about microplastics in Antarctica. Those released in Patagonian cities reach the Peninsula through the atmosphere, and they do so in just one day.
According to the study, these particles can travel the distance in up to 48 hours, carried by the prevailing winds in the region.
The work, led by Gabriel Silvestri, a researcher from the Center for Sea and Atmosphere Research (UBA-CONICET), used numerical simulations and air flow analysis to demonstrate that all localities south of Comodoro Rivadavia are a source of microplastic emission towards the Atlantic Ocean and, on certain days, towards Antarctica.
Microplastics: the global pollution crisis also in the air
More than 400,000 tons of plastics are produced each year, but less than 10% is recycled. The rest ends up in rivers, lakes, and oceans, reaching a volume close to 11 million tons annually, equivalent to the weight of 2200 Eiffel Towers.
“The wind is usually from the west and disperses microplastics towards the Atlantic. However, when low-pressure systems modify atmospheric circulation, the winds shift southward, and those particles can reach the Antarctic Peninsula,” explained Silvestri to the Scientific News Agency of the National University of Quilmes.
The microplastics, fragments smaller than 5 millimeters, are already detected in water, food, and even in the air. It is estimated that each person consumes at least 50,000 plastic particles per year, a figure that increases when considering inhalation.
Due to being extremely lightweight and not easily degradable, microplastics can travel long distances carried by the wind, turning cities into a permanent source of atmospheric pollution.
First Microplastic Sampling in Antarctica
The scientific team carried out samplings at three strategic points:
-
Outskirts of Ushuaia.
-
At Round Island, within the Beagle Channel.
-
At Carlini Antarctic Base, in the South Shetland Islands.
Microplastics in the atmosphere were detected at all three sites. While the findings in Ushuaia and Round Island were expected due to urban proximity, the detection at Carlini Base surprised the researchers.
“Finding microplastics at Carlini demonstrates that even very small communities can introduce these particles into Antarctic environments,” detailed Silvestri.
To verify if these waste came from Patagonia, the team used atmospheric dispersion simulations. The results suggest that, at least in part, the microplastics found at Carlini could have originated in Patagonian cities.
Risks of Microplastics for Human Health and the Environment
The impact of microplastics is so concerning that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) included them among the environmental health determinants.
The problem of plastic waste and its dangers to health and the environment.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), these particles can enter the human body through inhalation, water, food, and even everyday skin care products.
Scientific studies have already shown their presence in lungs, liver, kidneys, blood, and even the brain, in addition to being detected in eggs, testicles, and semen.
Next Steps in Research
Researchers from UBA and UNLP, in collaboration with the Argentine Antarctic Institute, will continue with new samplings both at Carlini Base and in the identified Patagonian cities as emitters, in order to delve deeper into the analysis of how microplastics are transported in the atmosphere and what their effects are on ecosystems and health.
