Airborne microplastic pollution detected in the atmosphere of the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica.

Plastic pollution has emerged as a growing environmental concern, affecting even the most remote regions of the planet as the Antarctic continent, endangering its ecosystem and contributing to climate change. In this context, a continuous atmospheric microplastics monitoring study was conducted at Carlini Argentine Antarctic Station located in the southwest of 25 de Mayo (King George) Island (South Shetlands). Passive samplers were installed at three locations throughout the station, chosen based on the intensity of human activity and proved to be effective in collecting atmospheric particles over a one-year study period.