Arctic algae heavily contaminated with microplastics

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Scientists led by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven took samples of algae and surrounding water from the ice floes during their expedition with the research vessel Polarstern in the summer of 2021. The results were published in the journal “Environmental Science and Technology.”

“Filamy algae have a slimy sticky texture, so they can pick up microplastics from atmospheric precipitation, seawater, surrounding ice, and any other source they come across,” said Deonie Allen, of the University of Canterbury and the University of Birmingham. the team, according to an AWI statement.

Melosira algae grows rapidly under sea ice in spring and summer, forming chains of cells many meters long. If algae contaminated with microplastics die and the ice they’re stuck under melts, they’ll stick together in clumps. They can quickly sink to the bottom of the arctic deep sea.

“We’ve finally found a plausible explanation that we always find the largest amounts of microplastics in the ice edge area, even in deep-sea sediments,” emphasizes AWI biologist Melanie Bergmann. It has been stated that algae is an important food source for animals and bacteria living at the bottom.

(SDA)

Source : Blick