First evidence of nanoplastics in Antarctica soil

Abstract

Abstract Plastic contamination has become a global concern, with evidence even in remote regions like Antarctica. While macro- and microplastics have been documented in Antarctic marine ecosystems, their presence in soils - particularly submicro- and nanoplastics - remains poorly studied. This study analyses soil samples from the McMurdo Dry Valleys collected on January 8th to 28th, 2023, and reports the first detection of nanoplastics - including polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and tyre wear particles - using thermal desorption proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. These plastics were detected at multiple topsoil sampling sites ( n  = 13), with concentrations reaching up to 295 ng g⁻¹ with nanoplastics detected above polymer-specific method detection limits at 54% of sites (median: 26.6 ng g⁻¹). They were also detected at lower concentrations in deeper soil layers (> 20 cm; n  = 4), where nanoplastics were present at 50% of the sampled sites (median: 1.95 ng g⁻¹). Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART suggested seasonal deposition patterns, with inputs from both local sources and long-range atmospheric transport. This evidence shows that soils in one of Earth’s most pristine environments are not exempt from plastic contamination, with the reported concentrations providing a crucial baseline for global pollution assessments. These findings also highlight the urgent need to study plastic fate, transport, and ecological impacts in polar regions.