Surge in Antarctic Tourists Raises Environmental Concerns

September 10, Asahi Shimbun website reports that the number of tourists visiting Antarctica is rapidly increasing, now exceeding 100,000 annually. An international research team comprising scientists from the Netherlands and other countries has pointed out that due to factors such as the surge in tourists and the expansion of research activities, the Antarctic region is facing severe pollution problems. The concentration of particles in the Antarctic surface snow is rising, with the concentration of particles containing heavy metals increasing to more than 10 times that of about 40 years ago.