The Polar Retrospective looks at recent stories from around the world’s polar regions. From last week we chose: the discovery of microplastic around the Union Glacier, a renewable energy project in Iqaluit and the Belgica pennant classified as part of national heritage.
The Polar Retrospective is a collaborative effort by the Polar Journal AG team. Each writer chooses a topic they found interesting and important in the past week. The initials at the end of each section indicate the author. We hope you enjoy it.
Microplastics detected in the heart of Antarctica
Microplastics have been found in Antarctica before—in seawater, on the seabed, in sea ice, in several marine species, and even in freshly fallen snow. Now, a new study reveals that plastic pollution extends even further than previously assumed. For the first time, scientists have detected microplastic particles in snow near remote field camps deep in the continent: at Union Glacier and Schanz Glacier in the Ellsworth Mountains of West Antarctica, and even at the South Pole.
Using an advanced new technique, researchers identified plastic particles as small as 11 micrometers—roughly the size of a human blood cell. The concentrations measured ranged from 73 to 3,099 particles per liter of snow, up to 100 times higher than those found in previous studies.
Most of the detected particles (95%) were smaller than 50 micrometers, suggesting that earlier studies may have significantly underestimated the extent of plastic pollution due to less sensitive detection methods. The most commonly found plastics included polyamide (nylon), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, and synthetic rubber—materials typically used in textiles, packaging, and equipment.
The long-term effects of microplastics on the Antarctic ecosystem remain largely unexplored, but researchers suspect that these tiny plastic particles could affect the snow’s albedo, potentially altering its melting behavior. They may also be transported to ecologically significant regions and accumulate within the food chain.
The study highlights the significant microplastic footprint left by human activities in Antarctic snow. To address this growing issue, the authors emphasize the need for regular monitoring of remote research camps and global efforts to reduce plastic pollution. J.H.
The Belgica pennant becomes part of the Flemish cultural heritage
The Belgica‘s pennant has just been added to the Flemish Community’s list of movable cultural heritage, the Belga news agency announced on 5 February. This red and white pennant, which flew from the mast of the Belgica during her expedition to the Antarctic, has “a special value for the collective memory”, according to the Flemish Minister for Culture, Caroline Gennez.
This is Belgium’s way of paying tribute to a legendary polar expedition. The Belgian Antarctic Expedition, commanded by Belgian naval officer Adrien de Gerlache, was the first to winter in Antarctica between 1897 and 1899. It was an unforeseen ordeal that put the crew to the test. This international crew included Frederick Cook and Roald Amundsen, two polar explorers who would go on to make history, each in their own way.
The Belgica expedition was famous for its scientific research into the flora and fauna of an unexplored environment and for mapping large parts of the Antarctic Peninsula.
On his return to Belgium, De Gerlache donated the pennant to the Royal Yacht Club of Antwerp, where it remains today. M.B.
$6 million to develop a hydro-electric dam project in Iqaluit
Fifteen blackouts in Iqaluit, Nunavut, in 2024, compared with just four in 2023. As everyone says, the region’s diesel power stations are ageing. So why not take the opportunity to switch to renewables? In 2022, research showed that in Nunavut, “the subsidized price of diesel-based electricity and the lack of grants for renewable options, offer little financial incentive for bottom-up change.”
But here’s a surprise: last Tuesday, Canada’s federal government invested $6 million to build a hydroelectric dam 60 kilometres from Iqaluit. Standing 50 metres high on the Kuugaluk (McKeand) River, the dam could generate 15 to 30 MW, at least equivalent to the town’s current output. “This project represents an exciting step toward renewable energy in Nunavut,” says Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok on LinkedIn.
The renewable energy development company Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation – owned by Inuit – will receive the funding. It will conduct studies for the design and financing of the construction, which could cost between $200 and $300 million.
The infrastructure would enable the inhabitants to move away from oil-fired heating and open up prospects for the mining industry, as well as “encouraging the development of undersea cables and server centres, which need access to energy that is as clean and renewable as possible on a reliable and continuous basis in order to operate, something that diesel does not necessarily provide,” points out Michael Delauney, a doctor in the social sciences and author of a book on Inuit connectivity. C.L.
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