Normally you’ll hear about ice melting due to record temperatures, but now its about Microplastics found in freshly fallen Antarctic snow for the first time.

Scientists working in the Ross Island region of Antarctica have found airborne microplastics in freshly fallen snow in one of the most remote places on Earth for the first time.

A peer-reviewed research paper published in The Cryosphere journal this week by scientists from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand shared the alarming news. Snow samples collected across 19 remote sites all showed the presence of the tiny, man-made polymers. Further analysis revealed that the plastics, which come from synthetic processes including the manufacture of cosmetics, clothing and food packaging, may have travelled from 4,000 miles away into the fragile ecosystem. 

On average, the fresh snow there contained 29 particles per liter, 79% of which was the type found in plastic bottles and clothing. 

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