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Spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastic contamination in the volcanic Lake Toba, Indonesia
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) scattered throughout Indonesia's Lake Toba, a massive volcanic lake surrounded by communities that rely on it for water and food. The most common plastic type came from everyday packaging and clothing fibers, showing that even remote, scenic lakes aren't safe from human-generated plastic pollution. Since people in the area drink this water and eat fish from the lake, these findings raise concerns about microplastics potentially making their way into our bodies—though more research is needed to understand the exact health effects.
Lake Toba, located in the Bukit Barisan Mountain range, is the largest volcanic lake in Southeast Asia and the world.It was formed by an ancient supervolcanic eruption approximately 75,000 years ago.The lake is surrounded by densely populated areas and fed by 289 inflowing rivers, making it highly vulnerable to microplastic contamination from various anthropogenic sources.Water and sediment samples were collected across 15 water stations and 4 sediment stations, positioned based on a preliminary macroplastic assessment using Sentinel-2 remote sensing analysis.However, information regarding the presence of microplastics in volcanic lake environments remains limited.Water sampling was conducted using a plankton net, while sediment samples were collected using a sediment trap, followed by drying and observation under a stereo microscope; polymer identification was performed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.The results revealed that the dominant microplastic shape in the lake water was pellets, characterized by a yellow coloration and a size of < 325 μm.The highest microplastic concentration was recorded at Station 4 with 108 particles/L, whereas the lowest concentrations were observed at Stations 2 and 8 with 10 particles/L.FTIR analysis indicated that polypropylene (PP) was the most dominant polymer type (22.2%), likely originating from packaging and textile waste, while polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and cellulose acetate (CA) exhibited the lowest proportions at 3.7% each.The widespread occurrence of microplastics demonstrates a significant anthropogenic impact on the aquatic ecosystem of Lake Toba and highlights potential ecological risks to aquatic organisms and surrounding communities.These findings provide critical baseline scientific data for environmental monitoring, sustainable lake management, and the development of mitigation strategies for microplastic pollution in the Bukit Barisan region.
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Researchers investigated the first documented occurrence of microplastic pollution in Lake Singkarak, a tectonic lake in Indonesia, by collecting water samples from lake inlet, hydropower dam intake, and outlet sites. They found microplastics present throughout the lake's surface water, highlighting the vulnerability of this priority restoration lake to plastic waste inputs from rivers and catchment runoff.
Spatial distribution of microplastics in volcanic lake water and sediments: Relationships with depth and sediment grain size
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Microplastics were mapped in both water and sediment across depth gradients in a volcanic lake, finding that plastic concentrations increased with depth in sediments and were related to sediment grain size. The study provides rare data on microplastic distribution in volcanic lake systems and highlights sediment accumulation as a long-term plastic sink.
Microplastic Contamination in Water and Sediment at Maninjau Lake, Indonesia
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Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in surface water and sediment across 10 locations in Maninjau Lake, Indonesia, finding abundances ranging from 65.63 to 195.31 particles/m3 in water and 199.52 to 7,000 particles/kg dry weight in sediment. Fiber, film, fragment, and granule shapes were identified, highlighting contamination risks to a lake critical for water supply, hydroelectric energy, and aquaculture.
Microplastics in a touristic and a remote freshwater lake in Türkiye: comparative patterns in water and sediments
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Scientists compared tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in two Turkish lakes—one popular with tourists and one remote and untouched—and found plastic pollution in both, even the lake far from people. This suggests microplastics can travel long distances through wind, water, or sediment rather than just coming from local sources like tourists, meaning even "pristine" lakes we drink from or swim in may not be as plastic-free as they seem.
Assessment of microplastic abundance and anthropogenic contaminations of spring water in Merapi Volcano’s spring belt
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Researchers testing seven natural springs near Indonesia's Merapi volcano found tiny plastic particles (mostly fibers) in every single water sample, likely coming from nearby recreation areas and everyday human activity. This matters because these springs are used by local communities for drinking, farming, and fishing, showing that even remote, natural water sources aren't safe from plastic pollution, and more research is still needed to understand what swallowing these microplastics over time might do to our health.
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