This result suggests that, although the health impacts are not yet known, it means people are inhaling plastic.

The Arctic is known as one of the least polluted regions on Earth.

The findings of the research by German and Swiss scientists were published in the scientific journal *Science Advances*.

Experts also found rubber and fiber particles in the snow.

How was the study conducted?

In the research conducted in Svalbard, experts collected snow samples with spoons and placed them in bottles.

These samples were examined at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven, Germany. Tests revealed far more particles than expected. Some particles were too small to determine their origin.

Most of the particles were natural materials, such as plant cellulose and animal fur. However, plastic, car tire particles, varnish, paint, and synthetic fibers were also found in the samples.

Dr. Melanie Bergmann, head of the research team, told the BBC, "We expected to find some pollution, but the microplastics were a real shock to us. Most of the microplastics in the snow come from the air."

Plastic particles smaller than five millimeters are called microplastics.

As part of the research, snow samples from Germany and Switzerland were also examined. These samples showed higher levels of pollution than those in the Arctic.

How does plastic reach the Arctic?

Researchers believe that microplastics are transported by wind and that they travel great distances through a mechanism in the atmosphere that is not yet understood. These particles then fall to the Arctic, especially through snowfall.

Previous studies in the industrial city of Dongguan in China, Tehran in Iran, and Paris in France have also detected microplastics falling from the sky.

The high amount of varnish particles found in the Arctic remains unexplained.

Experts suggest that some may come from ships breaking through the ice, while others could originate from wind turbines.

Fiber particles are thought to come from human clothing, although this is not certain.

Dr. Bergmann stated, "We must ask ourselves. Do we need this much plastic packaging? Are the polymers in paints necessary? Can we design car tires differently?"

Dr. Eldbjorg Sofie Heimstad, an expert at the Norwegian Air Research Institute who did not participate in the study, said that some of the particle pollution originated from the region, while others were transported from distant areas.

Heimstad added, “The particles we analyzed come from Europe, Asia, and all around the world. These chemicals pose a threat to ecosystems and animals.”