Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regions
We report anthropogenic particles (APs) >100 µm, including microplastics and microfibers, from 70 surface snow samples collected from the urban Greater Toronto Area, remote and sparsely inhabited regions in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and the unpopulated high Arctic. Concentrations and p...
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Canadian Science Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Arctic Science |
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| Online Access: | https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2024-0045 |
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| author | Jasmine T. Yu Miriam L. Diamond Eric Ward Jennifer K. Adams Amaya Cherian-Hall Mary Gamberg Tyler Obediah Michael Palmer Andrew Platt Cassandra Worthy Sarah A. Finkelstein Liisa M. Jantunen |
| author_facet | Jasmine T. Yu Miriam L. Diamond Eric Ward Jennifer K. Adams Amaya Cherian-Hall Mary Gamberg Tyler Obediah Michael Palmer Andrew Platt Cassandra Worthy Sarah A. Finkelstein Liisa M. Jantunen |
| author_sort | Jasmine T. Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We report anthropogenic particles (APs) >100 µm, including microplastics and microfibers, from 70 surface snow samples collected from the urban Greater Toronto Area, remote and sparsely inhabited regions in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and the unpopulated high Arctic. Concentrations and proportions of particles of anthropogenic origin were conservatively estimated after blank and “anthropogenic origin” corrections were performed based on visual analysis and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (µFTIR). APs were dominated by microfibers (95%–100%), with variable concentrations across and within regions. Microfibers were distinguished as synthetic, regenerated semi-synthetic, anthropogenically modified cellulosic, and natural cellulosic or proteinaceous. Among microfibers with confirmed anthropogenic origin, most were polyester/PET (8%–22%) and semi-synthetic rayon (1%–18%), with anthropogenic cellulose comprising a small proportion (3%–7%) across all regional areas. Greater diversity of coloured nonfibrous particles (fragments, films, and foams) in settled regions (i.e., Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Carcross, Yukon) suggests direct input from local sources. Back trajectory analyses performed for days leading up to sample collection showed high-frequency transport (>10%) from population centres exceeding 200 km distance. Our findings of APs in snow from uninhabited areas support the hypothesis that APs, especially microfibers, undergo long-range atmospheric transport whereby snow can scavenge and deposit APs in remote northern regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4142481c55a48728a165f5c78ec887d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2368-7460 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arctic Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4142481c55a48728a165f5c78ec887d2025-02-06T20:55:15ZengCanadian Science PublishingArctic Science2368-74602025-01-011111410.1139/as-2024-0045Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regionsJasmine T. Yu0Miriam L. Diamond1Eric Ward2Jennifer K. Adams3Amaya Cherian-Hall4Mary Gamberg5Tyler Obediah6Michael Palmer7Andrew Platt8Cassandra Worthy9Sarah A. Finkelstein10Liisa M. Jantunen11Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, CanadaCarcross/Tagish First Nation, Box 130, Carcross, YT Y0B 1B0, CanadaGamberg Consulting, Box 11267, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 6N5, CanadaCarcross/Tagish First Nation, Box 130, Carcross, YT Y0B 1B0, CanadaEnvironment and Natural Resources Department, Government of the Northwest Territories, 5102 – 50th Ave. Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9, CanadaEnvironment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M3H 5T4, CanadaEnvironment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M3H 5T4, CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, CanadaWe report anthropogenic particles (APs) >100 µm, including microplastics and microfibers, from 70 surface snow samples collected from the urban Greater Toronto Area, remote and sparsely inhabited regions in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and the unpopulated high Arctic. Concentrations and proportions of particles of anthropogenic origin were conservatively estimated after blank and “anthropogenic origin” corrections were performed based on visual analysis and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (µFTIR). APs were dominated by microfibers (95%–100%), with variable concentrations across and within regions. Microfibers were distinguished as synthetic, regenerated semi-synthetic, anthropogenically modified cellulosic, and natural cellulosic or proteinaceous. Among microfibers with confirmed anthropogenic origin, most were polyester/PET (8%–22%) and semi-synthetic rayon (1%–18%), with anthropogenic cellulose comprising a small proportion (3%–7%) across all regional areas. Greater diversity of coloured nonfibrous particles (fragments, films, and foams) in settled regions (i.e., Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Carcross, Yukon) suggests direct input from local sources. Back trajectory analyses performed for days leading up to sample collection showed high-frequency transport (>10%) from population centres exceeding 200 km distance. Our findings of APs in snow from uninhabited areas support the hypothesis that APs, especially microfibers, undergo long-range atmospheric transport whereby snow can scavenge and deposit APs in remote northern regions.https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2024-0045surface snowlong-range transportsourcesrayoncellulose |
| spellingShingle | Jasmine T. Yu Miriam L. Diamond Eric Ward Jennifer K. Adams Amaya Cherian-Hall Mary Gamberg Tyler Obediah Michael Palmer Andrew Platt Cassandra Worthy Sarah A. Finkelstein Liisa M. Jantunen Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regions Arctic Science surface snow long-range transport sources rayon cellulose |
| title | Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regions |
| title_full | Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regions |
| title_fullStr | Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regions |
| title_short | Snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles (microplastics and microfibers) from urban to Arctic regions |
| title_sort | snow as an indicator of atmospheric transport of anthropogenic particles microplastics and microfibers from urban to arctic regions |
| topic | surface snow long-range transport sources rayon cellulose |
| url | https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2024-0045 |
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