Arctic Plastic Pollution

It has recently been found that in areas of the Arctic with no human inhabitants or activity, there is now plastic pollution. Plastic is coming from both local and global sources. Locally, there are fisheries, landfills, wastewater treatments, and industrial sources. Globally, plastic is being carried from lower latitudes by ocean currents and rivers. This has affected mammals, seabirds, fish, and invertebrates through plastic entanglements, ingesting marine debris, malnutrition, and internal injury. Because plastic pollution is coming from both local and distant sources in the Arctic, more planning needs to be done to reduce plastic production and increase the efficacy of waste management systems. 

• Plastic pollution in the Arctic