Scientists analyzed the origin of particles of plastic debris in the Arctic. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Studies.
Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is one of the most serious environmental problems. Most types of plastic take a very long time to decompose in nature, and currents distribute them around the world.
“In 2016 we started working with civil society activists to study the composition of plastic waste on the Arctic coast,” says Melanie Bergmann. “Working closely with companies organizing excursions to the Arctic, volunteer tourists collected and repaired plastic debris that washed up on Svalbard from 2016 to 2021.”
Now scientists have figured out where the hunted parts came from, thanks to tags and seals. Although many of the items were attributable to fishing, it was not possible to determine their place of origin. About one percent of the parts are recognizable as labels or other markings – they come mostly from Arctic countries, especially Russia and Norway.
“Thanks to previous studies and computer models, we know that plastic pollution comes from both local and remote sources. Local plastic litter reaches the ocean from ships with poor waste management systems and from Arctic settlements. In terms of remote sources, plastic debris and microplastics originate in the Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans,” the authors said. He states that it was transported from Turkey to the Arctic Ocean by various ocean currents.
For example, on the Spitsbergen beach, experts found pieces from Brazil, China and the United States. But most of the plastic litter originated in Europe, particularly in Germany – where plastic from that country accounted for eight percent of the total litter identified. This makes sense, given that Germany produces the most plastic waste in Europe.
This study highlights the danger posed to the global environment by the overuse of non-degradable plastic.