1 . When you think of the Arctic, you imagine an icy land of pure white snow, which is considered to be the last really clean place 1 (leave) on Earth. Yet plastic trash has now reached the remote regions of the Arctic and the Alps. A team of 2 (scientist) has discovered large quantities of microplastics(微塑料) — very small pieces of plastic waste — in the Arctic snow. While microplastics have been found in sea-water, drinking water, and even in animals over 3 past several years, this is the first study to show microplastics in snow, 4 indicates it is an airborne pollutant that must be paid attention to.
The researchers state that microplastics in snow suggest that microplastics may be in the air that we 5 (breath). Therefore, it is really important 6 (assess) if microplastics also reach lung tissues.
Previous research has found that they flow over long distances and into our oceans, 7 (damage) ecosystems along the way. They start in our wastewater, when we wash clothes 8 plastic fibers. The wastewater then flows into rivers and out to sea, where they 9 (eat) by sea animals. If people then eat these animals, it means that we’re 10 (probable) eating the plastic as well.