Monitoring microplastic in Arctic air and ice

Graphic depicting the atmosphere and cryosphere compartments and transport pathways of microplastics into and within the Arctic.

Air and ice of the Arctic are pathways of microplastic transport between freshwater, marine, and terrestrial environments.

Evaluating microplastics in both compartments could provide a more holistic ecosystem view of this contaminant of emerging Arctic concern. It will also improve our understanding of transport of microplastics to the Arctic via air and its accumulation in ice.

Building upon the Arctic Monitoring Assessment Programme’s Monitoring Guidelines for Litter and Microplastics, we highlight scenarios where multi-compartment sampling can be achieved through existing monitoring infrastructure to further our understanding of the occurrence, trends, and pathways of microplastics in the Arctic.

Read this open access paper by B.M. Hamilton, L. Jantunen, M. Bergmann, K. Vorkamp, J. Aherne, K. Magnusson, D. Herzke, M. Granberg, I.G. Hallanger, A. Gomiero, and I. Peeken on the Arctic Science website.