Microplastics appear in Antarctic sea ice Spectrum + AI tracks ocean floating objects

However, due to the difficulty of degrading plastic products, we are increasingly aware of the harm caused by plastic waste. In agricultural production, farmland and crop yields continue to decrease due to plastic pollution; in the living environment, more and more "white pollution" makes people refuse to go out of their homes; and in the catering industry, because of plastic packaging, people are constantly ingesting more There are many "microplastics", but this is only part of the dangers of plastics. In recent years, new studies have confirmed that the oceans and the Antarctic and Antarctic regions, which have been rarely visited for many years, have also become the hardest hit areas for plastic pollution.

Scientists have previously detected plastic particles in surface water and sediment samples in Antarctica. But recently, a scientific research team from the Australian Marine and Antarctic Institute once again captured traces of "microplastics" in the core of Antarctic sea ice. Researchers analyzed an ice core extracted from East Antarctica in 2009. They found that the ice core contained 14 types of microplastic particles, with the number as high as 96, including types of plastics commonly used in fishery production.

Researchers say this is the first time scientists have found plastic particles in the core of Antarctic sea ice, indicating that the amount of plastic waste in Antarctica is far greater than previously thought. These plastic particles that have not drifted to the seabed are more likely to be eaten by krill and other marine life, causing harm to a variety of local marine life.

Today, humans have obviously realized that the seriousness of ocean plastic pollution has exceeded expectations. But understanding the extent and distribution of plastic pollution in the ocean is no easy task. After a large amount of plastic pours into the ocean, it will continue to drift with the movement of sea water and spread to every corner. At the same time, the huge corrosive power of the ocean will also break down plastic waste into fragments that are difficult to trace.

Despite the difficulties, scientists in various fields are still working hard to identify and detect marine plastic debris. Recently, the British "Scientific Report" published an environmental research report stating that Lauren Bierman, a researcher from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the United Kingdom, and her colleagues, based on the different spectral characteristics of visible light and infrared light wavelengths absorbed and reflected by floating objects, Using the European Space Agency's "Sentinel 2"Data provided by the satellite trained a machine learning algorithm that can distinguish plastic from natural materials such as seaweed, wood, and foam. Tests show that this technology has an average accuracy of 86% and a local area accuracy of 100%. Researchers say this method is expected to be used in conjunction with drones or high-resolution satellites to monitor marine plastic waste.

Ultimately, it is the wanton use of plastics by each of us that has created more and more "white garbage". However, it is unrealistic to think that plastics will come and go as soon as they are brought in. To solve the problem of white pollution, only a combination of advanced science and technology and the joint efforts of mankind are feasible.

　(Original title: Microplastics appear in Antarctic sea ice, spectrum + AI tracks ocean floating objects)