Environmental pollution in the polar regions in the focus of research
Along with climate change, environmental pollution is one of the most pressing problems in the Arctic and Antarctic. For some years now, research has increasingly focussed on it, a trend that has continued this year. Numerous studies have provided important findings, including on the concentrations of pollutants and microplastics in the ocean, in ice and snow, in the atmosphere and in sediments, and have provided information on how pollution affects animals. The following summary of research findings aims to illustrate the extent to which our human activities are impacting natural systems and living organisms, threatening their existence.
Proposed solutions presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Region in Reykjavik a few weeks ago offer reason for hope.
When it comes to research on environmental pollution, unfortunately there is rarely anything positive to report these days. This is also true for the polar regions. In my view, one of the studies with the most depressing results is that of a South Korean research team on microplastics in the digestive tract, which were found in enormous quantities in very young gentoo penguin chicks on King George Island.
The question of the origin of the plastic items may be answered by a study that was published a few months earlier in spring. A team of researchers led by the British Antarctic Survey discovered microplastics in krill and salps from the Southern Ocean. These two zooplankton species are extremely important food sources for penguins, seals, whales and seabirds.
In this context, a study on seabirds, which was also published in spring, gives further cause for concern. An international research team from Germany, Portugal and Canada used northern fulmars and Cory’s shearwaters to prove that the bacterial community in the birds’ intestines changes after they have ingested microplastics. Pathogens, antibiotic-resistant and plastic-degrading bacteria enter the digestive tract with the plastic particles and replace the beneficial bacteria, which can have an impact on the animals’ health.
This finding can possibly be transferred to marine mammals, which often ingest larger pieces of plastic. While these plastic particles usually remain in the gastrointestinal tract of the animals, microplastic fibers, ingested mainly with prey, even get into the fatty tissue of whales and seals and have been doing so for more than 20 years, as a study by Duke University reports.
In addition to microplastics, numerous pollutants are also deposited in the fatty tissue of animals, which can accumulate in large carnivores in particular and have serious health consequences. Orcas are among the most polluted marine mammals, with the concentrations of pollutants in their tissue very much dependent on the type of food they eat, as a study reported in October.
Nevertheless, there was some good news as the year draws to a close: a research team from Alaska examined several fish species, which are particularly important for subsistence fishermen, for mercury and PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals. The maximum permissible levels were not reached in any of the samples; on the contrary, the concentrations were fortunately far below them.
The Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic in Reykjavik this November brought together scientists, young researchers, representatives of indigenous and local communities, policy makers and stakeholders. One focus of the symposium was on strategies and solutions to combat plastic pollution, emphasising the importance of international cooperation at a scientific, economic and political level. The knowledge of indigenous and local communities should be increasingly incorporated into future decisions.
In a joint project AECO (Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators), Leeways marine and PolarJournal & mountain2ocean created the “Marine Litter Toolkit for Arctic Expedition Guides”, which is intended to help raise travelers’ awareness of plastic pollution in the Arctic from 2024 on.
Not only for the coming year, but for the future in general, it is urgently hoped that comprehensive solutions will be found, especially for the fragile polar regions, in order to protect their unique nature and wildlife from worse.
Julia Hager, PolarJournal
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