• Posted February 22, 2026

Even in Antarctica, Plastic Pollution From Afar Poses Threat

Next time you’re tempted to toss a plastic food container or bottle anywhere other than a garbage can, here’s a sobering thought.

Though it lives in one of the world’s most isolated and harshest spots on Earth, Antarctica’s only native insect can no longer escape the reach of plastic pollution.

That’s the surprising takeaway from a University of Kentucky study recently published in the journal Science of The Total Environment. It piggybacked on previous research that detected plastic fragments in fresh snow in Antarctica and nearby seawater.

In such a remote region, levels of plastics are predictably lower than in other places, but they still find their way to Earth’s fifth-largest continent via wind, ocean currents and human activity linked to ships and research stations.

Now, a team led by biologist Jack Devlin has found minute plastic particles inside small Antarctic flies called midges that are no bigger than a grain of rice. 

"This started because I watched a documentary and thought, 'Surely, Antarctica is one of the last places not dealing with this,'" Devlin said in a news release. "Then you go there, you work with this incredible little insect that lives where there are no trees, barely any plants, and you still find plastic in its gut."

That, he lamented, raises significant ecosystem concerns.

"Our study suggests that, right now, microplastics are not flooding these soil communities," Devlin said. "But we can now say they are getting into the system, and at high enough levels they start to change the insect’s energy balance."

The species his team studied — Belgica antarctica — lives in damp algae and moss mats along the Antarctic Peninsula. They feed on decaying plant material, which helps keep the fragile soil ecosystem functioning.

"They’re what we call poly-extremophiles," Devlin said. "They cope with intense cold, drying out, high salt, big swings in temperature and UV radiation. So, the big question was: Does that toughness protect them from a new stress like microplastics, or does it make them vulnerable to something they’ve never seen before?"

Results of controlled experiments were at once encouraging — and ominous. 

"Even at the highest plastic concentrations, survival didn’t drop," Devlin said. "Their basic metabolism didn’t change either. On the surface, they seemed to be doing fine."

Digging deeper, however, revealed a hidden impact. 

Larvae exposed to higher levels of microplastics were storing less fat. In Antarctica’s unforgiving climate, fat is essential for energy.

Devlin suspects that slow feeding in the cold and the complex makeup of native soils may limit how much plastic the larvae actually consume. But longer-term studies will be needed to tell how ongoing exposure affects the bugs and the larger ecosystem over time.

During a 2023 research cruise along the western Antarctic Peninsula, researchers collected larvae from 20 sites on 13 islands. When researchers examined the guts of 40 insects, they identified two microplastic fragments. That might not sound like much, but Devlin says it’s a warning sign.

"Antarctica still has much lower plastic levels than most of the planet, and that’s good news," he said. "Our study suggests that, right now, microplastics are not flooding these soil communities. But we can now say they are getting into the system, and at high enough levels they start to change the insect’s energy balance."

The midge has no known land-based predators so the plastic it ingests isn’t likely to advance through the food chain. But as climate change brings warmer, drier conditions, Devlin fears prolonged exposure could take a toll on larvae that take two years to develop.

Researchers plan to monitor microplastic levels in Antarctic soils and conduct longer experiments on Belgica antarctica and other organisms.

"Antarctica gives us a simpler ecosystem to ask very focused questions," Devlin said. 'If we pay attention now, we might learn lessons that apply far beyond the polar regions."

Among others, the research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

More information

Read five things you should know about plastic pollution at the United Nations Foundation.

SOURCE: University of Kentucky, news release, Feb. 16, 2026