［环保］Microplastics have been foun

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白色雪花变塑料，北极怎么了？

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Scientists have found microplastics at "unexpectedly high" quantities in the Arctic snow. The discovery, scientists say, shows these tiny particles of plastic are being transported to one of the most remote regions of the planet through the atmosphere, with the wind carrying it north then dumping it to the ground via precipitation.

Microplastics have been found at some of the highest and lowest points of Earth. They have been detected in France's Pyrenees mountains all the way down to the Mariana Trench—the deepest known part of the sea. They have even entered global food chains, with one study showing microplastics can be found in human feces around the world.

These fragments, which measure less than 0.2 inches, are created from the breakdown of larger pieces of plastic waste, as well as from industrial sources—including cosmetics and synthetic clothing. Atmospheric transport and fallout is an important pathway and mode of spread for microplastics enabling them to reach the remotest parts of our planet. As such, these should also be monitored in air pollution monitoring schemes.

Increasingly, research has shown the potential health impacts of microplastics, with lung cancer risk linked to inhaling the particles. However, how these miniscule bits of plastic are transported around the globe is unclear—and understanding this is paramount to understanding the risks posed.