Antarctica research finds microplastic in every sample tested

It had been assumed that Antarctica is a pristine continent untouched by human waste. Now, results from a 2019 voyage to Antarctica show the wide prevalence of microplastics on the continent.

Testing air, water, ice and sediment samples, researchers from the marine science institute Nekton found plastic contaminants in every sample they took. “Everywhere we looked for microplastics, we found them,” says Lucy Woodall, Nekton principal scientist. “Our results were suggestive that there are these multiple pathways that are bringing pollutants like microplastics into Antarctica.”