The utility of monitoring snow for microplastics in the Arctic: a pilot study from Iqaluktuuttiaq, Nunavut

Abstract

Plastic pollution, including microplastics (<5 mm) has been identified as an emerging contaminant of Arctic concern and has been observed in wildlife, water, sediment, air, and snow. Because snow is relatively easy to sample and process for microplastics, it may be a useful compartment to monitor to assess patterns of microplastic contamination in polar regions. Microplastics can enter the Arctic through both long-range transport pathways and from local sources. By sampling snow across spatial scales, and multiple distances from local communities, researchers can explore local and distant sources of microplastics, thereby informing management strategies. With this in mind, we aimed to quantify mass concentrations of microplastics in snow samples collected north-east of Iqaluktuuttiaq, Nunavut. We sampled five sites in a transect moving away from town and quantified microplastics using Pyrolysis/gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. We found microplastics at every location, but patterns along the transect were unclear. We observed differences in polymer types at sampling sites closer to the community compared to sites further away suggesting the presence of local inputs. Overall, we highlight the use of snow as a local monitoring tool to assess contamination and sources of microplastics in the Arctic to inform future long-term monitoring programs.