Yamal geo-ecologists together with scientists from the Institute of water and environmental problems of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences found microplastic particles in reservoirs of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District and atmospheric precipitation.
Microscopic and X-ray analysis was used to study water from lakes and melted snow. In the laboratory, scientists were able to isolate microplastic particles and fibers. In addition, it was possible to determine the ways of its penetration (in winter – ed.) in Salekhard region and the central part of the Yamal peninsula.
"In fact, our research has become a starting point for further monitoring of these particles," said Roman Kolesnikov, a leading researcher at the geo-ecology sector of the Scientific Center for Arctic Studies.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles ranging in size from 1 micron to 5 mm, about the size of a sesame seed. The smallest particles of plastic are able to penetrate into all aspects of the environment such as soil, water, air and, as a result, into the human body.
Scientific research is underway all over the world aimed at determining the harmful effects of microplastics accumulating in the body, mk-yamal.ru notes.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
