Scientists begin study of microplastics in Antarctica – 01/09/2024 – Environment

The amount of microplastics in Antarctica is being analyzed using nuclear science to study the waters, sediments and even the feces of penguins in the region.

The new joint research, launched this weekend by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Argentine Antarctic Institute (IAA), is part of the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics Initiative, which has already analyzed microplastic pollution in countries around the world.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, said that, until now, with the use of nuclear applications, it has been possible to determine with good precision the amount of pollutants found on the seabed and also their origin.

“The health of Antarctica is essential for the health of the planet,” Grossi told the Reuters news agency from the frozen continent, which he visited on Saturday (6) alongside Argentine president Javier Milei.

The program will use the Argentine icebreaker Almirante Irízar and scientists will collect samples of guano (material that comes from the accumulation of feces and corpses of ocean birds) from penguins, sediments from the seabed and the water around the ice sheet. The material will be analyzed at the Carlini Base in Argentina, in Antarctica. Others will be sent to the IAEA research center in Monaco.

Lucas Ruberto, researcher at the IAA said that microplastics —particles smaller than 5 millimeters— are a global problem due to the large use of plastics and are harmful to life, as they are frequently ingested, causing accumulation within organisms that can lead to diseases.

“It is estimated that since its introduction to the market, 7 billion tons of plastic have been dumped into the environment, much of it into the marine environment,” he said.