Microplastics Found in Europe’s Largest Ice Cap
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for c0lo:
In a recent article in Sustainability, scientists from Reykjavik University (RU), the University of Gothenburg, and the Icelandic Meteorological Office describe their finding of microplastic in a remote and pristine area of Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland, Europe's largest ice cap. Microplastics may affect the melting and rheological behavior of glaciers, thus influencing the future meltwater contribution to the oceans and rising sea levels.
This is the first time that the finding of microplastic in the Vatnajokull glacier is described. The group visualized and identified microplastic particles of various sizes and materials by optical microscopy and -Raman spectroscopy.
Journal Reference:
Hlynur Stefansson, Mark Peternell, Matthias Konrad-Schmolke, et al. Microplastics in Glaciers: First Results from the Vatnajokull Ice Cap, Sustainability (DOI: 10.3390/su13084183)
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