Acidification of Arctic to be studied on icebreaker

Cutting-edge environmental research to include the spread of microplastics

The Chinese icebreaker Xuelong, or Snow Dragon, will set out for northern seas on Thursday on a quest to measure the acidification of the Arctic Ocean.

It is internationally acknowledged that ocean acidification, mainly caused by rising carbon dioxide emissions, is worsening in the Arctic, according to Xu Ren, deputy head of the Shanghai-based Polar Research Institute of China. It is the first time the institute has targeted Arctic acidification.