Bergmann Melanie, Mützel Sophia, Primpke Sebastian, Tekman Mine B, Trachsel Jürg, Gerdts Gunnar
Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Am Handelshafen 12, Bremerhaven 27570, Germany.
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland.
Sci Adv. 2019 Aug 14;5(8):eaax1157. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax1157. eCollection 2019 Aug.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous, and considerable quantities prevail even in the Arctic; however, there are large knowledge gaps regarding pathways to the North. To assess whether atmospheric transport plays a role, we analyzed snow samples from ice floes in Fram Strait. For comparison, we investigated snow samples from remote (Swiss Alps) and populated (Bremen, Bavaria) European sites. MPs were identified by Fourier transform infrared imaging in 20 of 21 samples. The MP concentration of Arctic snow was significantly lower (0 to 14.4 × 10 N liter) than European snow (0.19 × 10 to 154 × 10 N liter) but still substantial. Polymer composition varied strongly, but varnish, rubber, polyethylene, and polyamide dominated overall. Most particles were in the smallest size range indicating large numbers of particles below the detection limit of 11 μm. Our data highlight that atmospheric transport and deposition can be notable pathways for MPs meriting more research.
微塑料（MPs）无处不在，即使在北极地区也存在大量微塑料；然而，关于其进入北极的途径，仍存在很大的知识空白。为了评估大气传输是否起作用，我们分析了弗拉姆海峡浮冰上的雪样。作为对比，我们调查了来自欧洲偏远地区（瑞士阿尔卑斯山）和人口密集地区（不来梅、巴伐利亚）的雪样。通过傅里叶变换红外成像在21个样本中的20个样本中识别出了微塑料。北极雪样中的微塑料浓度（0至14.4×10 N升）明显低于欧洲雪样（0.19×10至154×10 N升），但仍然可观。聚合物组成差异很大，但清漆、橡胶、聚乙烯和聚酰胺总体上占主导地位。大多数颗粒处于最小尺寸范围，表明存在大量低于11μm检测限的颗粒。我们的数据表明，大气传输和沉降可能是微塑料的重要途径，值得进一步研究。
