We’ve known plastic pollution is a problem for a while now and this reality is underscored by a new study that examined plastic as far away as the Arctic Ocean. Researchers from University of Cadiz in Spain and other international institutions sampled pieces of plastic floating in the Arctic on an expedition in 2013. These researchers estimate that there are around 300 billion tiny pieces of plastic on the Arctic’s surface and dubbed it the “dead end” for plastic in oceans. The most likely source of this plastic is waste dumped in the oceans by North Americans and Europeans. Scientists also fear an increase in plastic in the Arctic due to climate change melting the ice which will clear the path for plastics to float and interact with marine animals in the Arctic.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/study-arctic-ocean-plastics-dead-end_us_58f8d57ee4b018a9ce58e521