Reference news network reported on July 14 Russian media said that the Russian representative of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Union Yelena Zarkova said that a number of social organizations have called on countries not to use soap, gels, shoe polish and other items containing microplastics in Antarctica science stations.

According to the Russian satellite news agency reported on July 12, the plastic microparticles used in the cosmetics industry have become one of the main threats to the global ecology. The particles have been found in both water bodies and living tissues. Antarctica, previously thought to be free of microplastic pollution, has recently found concentrations comparable to those in more populated parts of the world.

"Scientific stations, tourists and ships contribute to microplastic pollution in the Southern Ocean waters and in Antarctica," Zarkova said. "Microplastics are found in various toothpastes, shoe polish, soaps and other products used by academics and tourists. Synthetic polyester thermal materials used to make clothing also add to microplastic pollution: when the product is cleaned, microplastics enter the nature. Thousands of academics have been active at the station, regularly keeping 4,000 visitors in the area, which is a heavy burden on Antarctica's pristine nature."

"Antarctica is protected by international treaties and does not belong to any one country," explained Zharkova. "All issues are resolved collectively, no one has the right to force them, and we think this initiative will be effective because the threat posed by microplastics is clear. How people are fighting microplastics in Antarctica is going to be a model for the whole world because it's a worldwide problem."

reports that plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in diameter are generally identified as microplastics. Academics at Utrecht University in the Netherlands estimated that the total number of microplastic particles in 2014 was between 15 trillion and 51 trillion, with a total weight of 93,000 tons to 236,000 tons, accounting for 1 percent of the total plastic waste in the world's oceans. However, due to insufficient data, the total amount of microplastics is likely to be underestimated.

Microplastic particles do not break down in the environment, cannot be processed and can be eaten by fish or birds, the report said. Because they often contain toxins, microplastics pose a health risk to humans and animals.

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