Plastics are creating life-threatening issues in the Arctic, according to a new report by the International Pollutants Elimination Network.
“Arctic is warming at a rate of about four times faster than the rest of the planet. So, this is now bringing in chemicals and plastics more quickly into the Arctic,” explained Pam Miller, Co-chair of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN).
The report shows that plastics are carried by atmospheric and oceanic currents to the Arctic as plastics break down in the environment. It can turn into smaller particles called microplastics that are filled with thousands of chemicals.
“Some of these chemicals can act like substances in our bodies, and they can cause our own hormones to react to the exposure and cause our bodies to fail,” said Dr. Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, an Inupiaq scholar, activist, and leader, from the Native Village of Nuiqsut, Alaska.
Microplastics are in everything.
“These are chemicals that are in plastics that we use every day. So, …