Microplastics Contaminate Arctic Ice Algae, Threatening Food Chains.

The Arctic ice alga Melosira arctica contains ten times as many microplastic particles as the surrounding seawater, posing a threat to creatures that feed on the algae at the sea surface. Clumps of dead algae also transport the plastic with its pollutants particularly quickly into the deep sea, explaining the high microplastic concentrations in the sediment there. The microplastic could enter the food web of deep-sea dwellers and also at the sea surface, potentially affecting human health. The Arctic ecosystem is already threatened by the climate crisis, and reducing the production of new plastic is the most effective way to reduce plastic pollution.