Alfred Wegener Institute scientist Julia Gütermann, a co-author of the new study, analyzes an Arctic sea ice core for microplastic particles. That's why it's important to know we have small particles there," Peeken said, adding that the potential health risks are unknown. The study also suggests that when the ice melts, it will release large amounts of plastic into the Arctic Ocean. A 2009 image provided by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography shows a patch of sea garbage at sea in the Pacific Ocean. That garbage patch is thought to be where a lot of the plastic in the Arctic sea ice comes from.

Source: CBC News April 24, 2018 15:33 UTC