CGG has conducted a microplastics pollution survey as part of a scoping study into whether it would be possible to create a plastic-free zone on Mount Snowdon in Wales.
CGG has conducted a microplastics pollution survey as part of a scoping study into whether it would be possible to create a plastic-free zone on Mount Snowdon in Wales.
The Snowdon Partnership, led by the Snowdonia National Park Authority, aims to increase public awareness of plastic pollution on the UK’s most visited mountain and consider the practicalities of introducing plastic-free areas in the national park.
Variable amounts of microplastic pollution were identified in all the soil samples collected along the busy Llanberis Path to the summit of Snowdon in April 2021 and analysed by CGG at its geoscience laboratories in North Wales for microplastic quantification and identification. A sample preparation and analysis workflow were used for rapid, mass sample screening to identify high concentrations of microplastic significantly faster than with existing manual and optical identification methods. This workflow can be used to calculate the volume, size and shape of plastic particles within a sample.
The results were used to determine a Microplastic Pollution Index that is designed to help organizations, local authorities or government agencies identify areas of plastic leakage and wastage where microplastics may be entering the food chain or natural environment. On Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the largest amounts of microplastic were observed where people congregate in large numbers. Microplastic particles constituted nearly 5% of the total sample collected at the summit. These were predominantly small, highly-abraded particles formed from the fragmentation of larger plastic material and fibres shed from clothing.
Peter Whiting, EVP, Geoscience, CGG, said: ‘With the growing need for clear and transparent environmental information, CGG’s innovative microplastic analysis technique provides detailed microplastic pollution information. Through continued investment in technology, CGG is developing advanced workflows to generate data that is key to addressing global environmental challenges such as plastic pollution. This technique complements our other plastic pollution monitoring initiatives, such as our ongoing European Space Agency project to monitor plastic pollution from space.’
