Synthetic fibres polluting Arctic, study finds

VANCOUVER – Microplastic pollution from synthetic textile fibres is “emerging as a priority” for policy makers based on the findings of the most comprehensive study of Arctic microplastics ever undertaken.

Canadian NGO Ocean Wise, together with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, analysed microplastic samples from 71 locations across the European and North American Arctic, including the North Pole.

They found synthetic fibres make up approximately 92 per cent of microplastic pollution found in near-surface seawater samples from across the Arctic Ocean. About 73 per cent of those fibres are polyester and “resemble fibers used in clothing and textiles.”