Microplastics – tiny fragments of plastic – have been discovered in sediment layers that have been undisturbed since the early 1700s indicating their ability to contaminate environments that have not been impacted by humans in modern times.
A group of scientists from Europe uncovered the startling finding while examining the sediment layers of three lakes in Latvia. Their research paper is published in the journal Science Advances.
Microplastics – classed as being less than 5mm in size – are present in a wide range of things, including our bodies, soil and the ocean. There are concerns that these can cause significant adverse health impacts, not just on humans but all living things, although scientific understanding of it is limited.
In this case, researchers conducted a study on lake sediment to examine the reliability of using the presence of microplastics in geological layers as an indicator of the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch, which is defined as starting in 1950 and intended to mark the point when human activities began significantly affecting the environment.
For a long time, scientists have utilized ash or ice layers to investigate previous occurrences on our planet. This has raised the possibility of whether microplastics could be a dependable way to determine the chronology of the Anthropocene.
In this study, microplastics were discovered in all layers of sediment retrieved, even in one dating back to 1733.
But the scientists say that the assessment of microplastics distribution in the examined sediment profiles is unclear and does not definitively signify the start of the Anthropocene Era.
In addition to finding that microplastics are not a reliable indicator of geological age, the study also highlights their astonishing capability to spread everywhere.
Even the most isolated place on Earth, Antarctica, is not immune. Researchers have discovered microplastics in multiple samples of snow, presumably carried there by the wind.
There are already moves worldwide to try and get rid of microplastics from the environment, but as this study shows, it will not be easy.
