Scientists find polystyrene fragments in guts of soil-dwelling organisms in Antarctica

In a shocking observation, on June 24, scientists from University of Siena, Italy and University College Dublin, Ireland discovered that microplastics reached most remote regions of planet after it was found ingested by small organisms common and central component of Antarctic terrestrial food webs living in soil in Antarctica. Published in scientific journal Biology Letters, study found that  polystyrene fragments travelled to Antarctic terrestrial food webs after large pieces were discovered in species collembolan Cryptopygus Antarcticus, a small Antarctic soil invertebrate. 

Plastic pollution has become an overwhelming environmental issue on a global scale, said authors of study, ding, plastics are entering short Antarctic terrestrial food webs and represent a new potential stressor to polar ecosystems alrey facing climate change and increasing human activities.

Scientists conducted  bench-scale experiments to observe impact of floating or stranded macroplastics that dated back to 1980s. As per published research, plastic debris on Antarctic biota mainly included entanglement and ingestion by marine mammals and seabirds at sub-Antarctic and Antarctic islands. Soil microarthropods, such as Antarctic mites and collembolans on King George Island (South Shetland Islands) digested se fragments of plastic that entered Antarctic food web.  

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Infrared microscopy (µ-FTIR) analysis

Using  Fourier transform infrared microscopy (µ-FTIR) analysis, scientists detected trace amounts of plastic which was ingested by soil microarthropods, reby, entering most remote soil food webs on planet, as per study. This imposed potential risks for whole biota and ecosystems. According to published research, se organisms have been "dominant species" in areas of Antarctica that are t covered by ice, and y typically feed on lichens and micro-algae. Scientists found that springtails may have consumed plastic may have alrey "deeply" infiltrated Antarctica's remote land-based food system.  

Elisa Bergami of University of Siena was quoted saying that implications of plastic ingestion by this species include potential redistribution of microplastics through soil profile and transfer to ir common predators, moss mites. Furr, she ded, research shows that Antarctica's land contamination has been igred or paid less attention to and plastic pollution in region could stress Antarctica's fragile ecosystem, as per a report.  

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(All Ims Credit: Biology Letters Journal)