This is the first time that microplastics have been detected in the Vatnaäküll glacier.
Microplastics are regularly examined in terms ofpollution of seas and oceans, not glaciers. To date, microplastic particles have been found in the Alps, the Andes and icebergs in Svalbard. Understanding the distribution of microplastics and its short-term and long-term impact on ice dynamics is vital, according to Dr. Hlynur Stefansson, Associate Professor of Engineering at RU and the first author of the article.
The findings confirm that microplastic particles are distributed throughout the atmosphere.
We don't understand well enough the ways in which microplastic particles spread in our environment.Scientists now need to learn more about how it spreads.The samples we took were taken in a remote and untouched location on the Vatnajökull glacier.Direct pollution from human activity is unlikely there."
Khlynur Stefansson, Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering, RU
There is also a need to know much more about the short- and long-term impacts of microplastics on ice dynamics, as well as their impact on melting.
Plastic particles decompose very slowly incold glacial environments: they can accumulate and be stored there for a very long time. However, sooner or later they will melt, which will lead to pollution of rivers and the marine environment. Therefore, it is very important to map and understand the presence and distribution of microplastics in glaciers on a global scale.
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