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Investigating microplastic transport in remote ecosystems: High-mountain lakes of the western alps
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Researchers investigated microplastic transport in high-mountain lakes in a remote region, examining how atmospheric deposition and watershed processes deliver plastic particles to these sensitive and isolated ecosystems. Microplastics were detected in lake water and sediments, confirming that long-range atmospheric transport is a significant delivery pathway to remote alpine environments.
Microplastic pollution has emerged as a global concern across several environments, encompassing aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric. Currently, there is limited data on the presence of microplastics in remote ecosystems such as high-mountain lakes (HMLs). These lakes are known to be sensitive indicators of global environmental changes and particularly vulnerable to air pollutants. This study examined microplastics (¡ 5 mm – 100 µm) in two HMLs, Paione Inferiore (PAI) and Paione Superiore (PAS), part of the LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) network, and their final outlet. This research was conducted within the framework of the LIFE project MODERn NEC, which aims to establish a new monitoring system to detect the effects of reduced pollutant emissions following the implementation of the EU's National Emission Reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive. The investigated HMLs cover a different level of accessibility and human use to evaluate potential pathways such as atmospheric transport or local activities. The abundance of microplastics was similar in both lakes and the outlet. The size of the microplastics ranged from 111 to 5000 µm, with a trend of larger particles from PAS to the outlet. Fibers (¿89 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559216/document
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Investigating microplastic transport in remote ecosystems: High-mountain lakes of the western alps
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Researchers investigated microplastic transport to and accumulation in high-mountain lakes in remote ecosystems, using atmospheric deposition measurements and lake sediment analysis. Even at elevations above human habitation, microplastics were deposited from the atmosphere, with concentrations tracking regional air circulation patterns.
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Researchers detected microplastics in two remote alpine lakes of the European Long-Term Ecological Research (eLTER) network, providing the first evidence of MP contamination in these high-altitude freshwater systems. Atmospheric deposition was identified as the likely transport pathway to these geographically isolated ecosystems.
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Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in sediments from remote alpine lakes, environments that serve as sensitive indicators of long-range atmospheric transport and global environmental change. Microplastics were detected even in these isolated high-altitude lakes, confirming that atmospheric deposition delivers plastic particles to ecosystems far from direct human activity.
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