The Arctic is invaded by
synthetic fibers
, which make up
92% of the microplastics
found in surface waters and which
73%
are made of the
polyester
used in synthetic fabrics and
released through the laundry
.
The discovery, published in the journal Nature Communications, is due to the Canadian
Ocean Wise Conservation Association group
coordinated by Peter Ross.
The data, the authors of the research note, indicates that synthetic fabrics, through laundry and wastewater discharge, can play an important role in the contamination of the oceans.
"Laundry - the study reads - is proving to be a potentially important channel for the release of microfibers into the water. We recently estimated that a
single item of clothing can release millions of fibers
during a typical domestic wash".
To get an estimate of the extent of microplastic pollution in the Arctic, the researchers analyzed 2016 water samples collected near the surface (3 to 8 meters deep) at 71 stations in the European and North American Arctic (including areas near the surface). North Pole).
The presence, on average, of about
40 microplastic particles per cubic meter of water
was thus calculated
.
Microscope image of synthetic fibers and microplastics found in Arctic waters (source: Ocean Wise)
Synthetic fibers, and especially polyester, make up the majority (92%) of the microplastics found in the samples.
In addition, most of the particles (nearly three times more) were found in the eastern Arctic than in the western Arctic, suggesting that new polyester fibers are being carried into the eastern Arctic Ocean by currents from the Atlantic.
In general, all microplastics are a source of concern, having reached the farthest reaches of the world, from the Himalayas to the depths of the ocean.
Microplastics had already been identified in the Arctic, on pack ice, in seawater and in sediments of the seabed.
However, doubts remained about their distribution, sources and extent of contamination.