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High-Resolution Detection of Microplastics in Zooplankton from Lake Como (Northern Italy): A Multi-Year Baseline for Large Deep Lakes
Summary
Researchers measured microplastic loads in zooplankton across multiple years in Lake Como, Italy, finding contamination comparable to freshwater lakes worldwide, no significant difference between the lake's two main branches, and a clear seasonal pattern with higher burdens in autumn and winter — establishing a baseline for pelagic food web exposure monitoring.
d.w., values comparable to those reported for freshwater zooplankton worldwide. No significant differences were observed between the lake's two main branches, supporting a lake-wide interpretation of exposure. Clear seasonal patterns emerged, with higher MPs loads in autumn and winter. These findings highlight the potential for MPs to enter pelagic food webs and contribute to a lake-wide baseline for future harmonized monitoring and polymer-specific assessments. The main limitation of this study is the exclusive quantitative approach, which does not provide qualitative information on polymer composition. Overall, these results underscore the need to integrate zooplankton-based monitoring into freshwater microplastic risk assessment frameworks.