Spatiotemporal variation and occurrence of microplastics in two interconnected lakes of Himalayan region polluted by landfill leachate and laundries

Spatio-temporal variation of microplastics during the past four decades in a lacustrine sedimentary environment in southern India

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Using sediment dating techniques, researchers traced four decades of microplastic accumulation in a tropical Indian lake, finding a steady rise from 1975 to 2010 driven by rainfall, fishing, and poor waste disposal. This historical record demonstrates that microplastic pollution is not a recent phenomenon — it has been steadily building in freshwater systems for generations.

Exploratory Study of Microplastics in the Eastern Himalayas of Nepal

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Researchers found preliminary evidence of microplastics smaller than 250 micrometers in surface water samples from a remote river in Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal, suggesting that plastic pollution has reached even the high-altitude Himalayan wilderness and that more detailed studies are needed to establish baseline contamination levels.

Microplastic characteristics in rivers and lakes across the Tibetan Plateau

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A systematic survey of rivers and lakes across the Tibetan Plateau found microplastics averaging 4,250 items/m³ in water and 3,750 items/kg in sediments, with small transparent polyamide, PET, and polypropylene fragments dominating near urban outfalls. These findings reveal that even remote, high-altitude ecosystems considered biodiversity refuges are now pervasively contaminated, underscoring the global reach of microplastic pollution.

Study on the distribution characteristics of microplastics in Lake Yanaka

Assessing Microplastic Pollution in Indian Lake Ecosystems: A Mini Review

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This mini-review synthesizes findings from the 12 Indian lakes studied for microplastic contamination since the field's 2017 inception in the country, examining contamination levels, methodologies, and pollution sources across surface water, sediments, and biota. Freshwater lakes are critically understudied relative to marine environments, and the lack of standardized methods across studies makes cross-comparison difficult—limiting effective policy responses.