IAEA Experts Confirm Presence of Microplastic Pollutants in Antarctica

At least one million plastic bottles are bought each minute around the world, while a further nine million plastic bags are sold every sixty seconds, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. With more than 400 million tonnes of plastic waste produced each year, plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing global environmental challenges today and an enduring obstacle to sustainable development. This pollution is not always visible to the naked eye as plastic degrades with time and is absorbed by ecosystems and through the food chain.

A recent IAEA study has uncovered evidence that plastic pollution can be found even in the remote biomes of Antarctica. Using nuclear and nuclear-derived techniques, the IAEA was able to detect microplastics at smaller sizes than previously measurable using conventional methods.

“We have started a scientific campaign aimed at identifying the real dimension of the problem of microplastic pollution, which is affecting the entire world and the pristine Antarctic environment,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the launch of the project.

The IAEA brings together countries, partners and new technologies to address global plastic pollution under its Nuclear Technology for Controlling Plastic Pollution (NUTEC Plastics) initiative. Marine monitoring is a central pillar of the initiative and, in January 2024, the IAEA launched a scientific research mission to Antarctica under the initiative to investigate and measure the magnitude of plastic pollution in the remote Antarctic region.

"There is a growing concern to understand the impact of plastics and microplastics on the Antarctic ecosystem,” said Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino. “We believe that the NUTEC Portal will be a valuable and effective tool to support the IAEA's efforts to address shared challenges through the peaceful applications of nuclear energy".

Joined by a team of Argentinian scientists, IAEA experts visited three of the six permanent environmental research stations operated by Argentina — namely the Marambio, Esperanza and Carlini bases — as well as the Argentine icebreaker Irizar with the aim of using this existing infrastructure to support the collection of environmental samples and subsequently prepare them  for analysis at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco.

The preliminary results from the IAEA’s analysis of the Antarctic seawater, beach sand, molluscs and penguin faeces indicate the presence of microplastics in all samples. The microplastics detected included a variety of polymers, including plastic fibres and fragments, most commonly polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).  

This study is an important contribution to the growing body of scientific analysis indicating the presence of plastic and microplastic waste in soil, produce, water and air samples in all corners of the globe. Once finalized, the IAEA’s research results will be shared with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, a specialized body of the International Science Council that provides independent advice to the Antarctic Treaty system, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In addition, technical and scientific collaboration with the Chilean Antarctic Institute will utilize Chilean Antarctic bases to collect samples for analysis at the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco. This will strengthen Chile’s capacities in sample collection and analysis and will establish a baseline of microplastic levels in the Chilean Antarctic Territory. Through its NUTEC Plastics initiative, the IAEA is helping to equip laboratories in 86 countries with the capacities and resources to sample, characterize and analyse microplastics in marine and coastal environments through technical cooperation projects and coordinated research projects.

As only 10 per cent of plastic is recycled globally, the IAEA is also making additional efforts to focus on upcycling activities designed to enable countries to utilize renewable resources as alternatives to petroleum-based materials and repurpose plastic waste before it contributes to broader pollution. Currently, 39 countries are involved in upcycling activities through NUTEC Plastics. Irradiation can be used to treat existing plastics and to render them fit for reuse – extending current recycling potential and enabling a wider and higher-value reuse. Significant progress has been made in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions, with innovative radiation technology successfully applied in Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. These four pilot countries have also established strategic partnerships with the private sector, to validate the technology and initiate scale-up strategies.

NUTEC Plastics is paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable global future. The continued collaboration between the IAEA, its Member States, industrial partners and subject experts will be crucial in advancing technology and building capacity to continue to assess and address plastic pollution. Through its forward-looking approach and collaborative efforts, NUTEC Plastics aims to make available the power of nuclear technology to address one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

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