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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Downward migrating microplastics in lake sediments are a tricky indicator for the onset of the Anthropocene

Science Advances 2024 53 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Alvise Vianello, Natalja Buhhalko, Saija Saarni, Natalja Buhhalko, Marta Barone, Marta Barone, Marta Barone, Normunds Stivriņš, Saija Saarni, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Saija Saarni, Alvise Vianello, Saija Saarni, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Saija Saarni, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Alvise Vianello, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Saija Saarni, Saija Saarni, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Saija Saarni, Saija Saarni, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Alvise Vianello, Saija Saarni, Saija Saarni, Saija Saarni, Saija Saarni, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Natalija Suhareva, Natalija Suhareva, Marta Barone, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Natalja Buhhalko, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Natalja Buhhalko, Alvise Vianello, Natalja Buhhalko, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Saija Saarni, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Alvise Vianello, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Natalija Suhareva, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Normunds Stivriņš, Marta Barone, Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Marta Barone, Marta Barone, Marta Barone, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Natalja Buhhalko, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Natalja Buhhalko, Saija Saarni, Saija Saarni, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Natalja Buhhalko, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Normunds Stivriņš, Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Normunds Stivriņš, Normunds Stivriņš, Jes Vollertsen Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Alvise Vianello, Natalja Buhhalko, Alvise Vianello, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Natalja Buhhalko, Jes Vollertsen Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Natalija Suhareva, Jes Vollertsen Natalija Suhareva, Saija Saarni, Natalija Suhareva, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Saija Saarni, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Saija Saarni, Saija Saarni, Wojciech Tylmann, Jes Vollertsen Saija Saarni, Alvise Vianello, Saija Saarni, Alvise Vianello, Wojciech Tylmann, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Normunds Stivriņš, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Wojciech Tylmann, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Wojciech Tylmann, Marta Barone, Jes Vollertsen Marta Barone, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Jes Vollertsen Wojciech Tylmann, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Inta Dimante‐Deimantovica, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen Alvise Vianello, Alvise Vianello, Jes Vollertsen Jes Vollertsen

Summary

Researchers studying lake sediment cores in northeastern Europe found that microplastics had migrated downward through sediment layers over time, appearing in layers that predate the era of plastic production. This means microplastics cannot be used as a reliable geological marker for the start of the modern era (Anthropocene), because the particles move through sediment rather than staying in place. The finding also highlights that microplastics can travel deeper into soil and sediment than previously assumed, potentially reaching groundwater.

Study Type Environmental

Plastics are a recent particulate material in Earth's history. Because of plastics persistence and wide-range presence, it has a great potential of being a global age marker and correlation tool between sedimentary profiles. In this research, we query whether microplastics can be considered among the array of proxies to delimit the Anthropocene Epoch (starting from the year 1950 and above). We present a study of microplastics deposition history inferred from sediment profiles of lakes in northeastern Europe. The sediments were dated with independent proxies from the present back to the first half of the 18th century. Regardless of the sediment layer age, microplastic particles were found throughout the cores in all sites. Depending on particles' aspect ratio, less elongated particles were found deeper, while more elongated particles and fibers have reduced mobility. We conclude that interpretation of microplastics distribution in the studied sediment profiles is ambiguous and does not strictly indicate the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch.

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