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Climate and Environment

    • 'It's incredibly sad': Researchers discover microplastics in fresh Antarctic snow

    This January 2010 photo provided by Ian Joughin shows the area near the grounding line of the Pine Island Glacier along its west side in Antarctica. (Ian Joughin via AP) This January 2010 photo provided by Ian Joughin shows the area near the grounding line of the Pine Island Glacier along its west side in Antarctica. (Ian Joughin via AP)
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    TORONTO -

    For the first time, the presence of microplastics has been confirmed in freshly fallen Antarctic snow. Researchers at New Zealand’s University of Canterbury found microplastics in all 19 samples collected in Antarctica's Ross Island region.

    The study, published Tuesday in the , found 13 different types of plastics during a fresh snowfall. The most common microplastic found was Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used to make clothes or package food and soft drinks. On average, 29 microplastic particles were found per litre of snow.

    are small pieces of plastic that can reach up to 5 millimetres in size. Despite their size, these pollutants can be environmentally damaging depending on the type of plastic and chemicals it contains.

    Researchers were shocked, not only by the quantity of microplastics found, but by the remote locations of their discovery, including Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf.

    “It’s incredibly sad but finding microplastics in fresh Antarctic snow highlights the extent of plastic pollution into even the most remote regions of the world,†Alex Aves PhD student at the university said in a

    According to the study, airborne microplastics likely reached the continent by travelling distances of up to 6,000km. However, it is likely that human activity contributed to the pollution.

    New Zealand’s environmental adviser Natasha Gardiner said in a press release said this study will help push for policy change to reduce plastic pollution.

    We can use this information to reduce plastic pollution at its source and inform our broader environmental management practices,†she said.

    The study was submitted to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting for further inspection into the plastics environmental impact. 

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    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

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    Canada

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

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    World

    Politics

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    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

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    Autos

    Local Spotlight

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    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

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    David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

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    • The seats from a stolen e-bike that was customized for a Surrey, B.C., child with complex health needs have been recovered – but the bike itself has yet to be found.

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    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

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    • The Ford government is considering restricting Ontario municipalities from installing new bike lanes that would require the removal of lanes of traffic, a source confirms to CTV News Toronto.

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    • China's ongoing ban on Canadian beef appears to have no end in sight, making it a textbook example of the uncertainty Canadian exporters continue to face in that market.

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    • Maplewood Secondary School is scheduled to open Monday after receiving a permit Friday morning allowing 50 per cent of the building to be occupied.

    • Ottawa Fire Services says a driver has been safely extricated after being trapped following a two-vehicle collision near a high school in the city’s south end.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

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    • Alberta Health Services says an E. coli outbreak at a daycare in Blackfalds has ended.

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    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

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    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

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    N.L.

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