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Effects of lakeshore landcover types and environmental factors on microplastic distribution in lakes on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China
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This study measured microplastic contamination in lakes across the Inner Mongolia Plateau and found levels ranging from 0.5 to 12.6 particles per liter in water, with polypropylene being the most common type. Lakes near farmland and human activity had the highest contamination, showing that agriculture and tourism are major sources of microplastic pollution. The findings are relevant because these lakes serve as water sources for surrounding communities.
Microplastic pollution in freshwater environments has received increasing attention. However, limited research on the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in plateau lakes. This study investigated the microplastic characteristics and influencing factors in lakes with different land cover types on the Inner Mongolia Plateau. Results showed that microplastic abundance ranged from 0.5 to 12.6 items/L in water and 50-325 items/kg in sediments. Microplastics in water were predominantly polypropylene (50.5%), fragments (40.5%), and 50-200 µm (66.7%). High-density (27.9%), fibrous (69.3%), and large-sized microplastics (47.7%) were retained primarily in lake sediments. The highest microplastic abundance in water was found in cropland lakes and grassland lakes, while that in sediments was in descending order of desert lakes > cropland lakes > grassland lakes > forest-grassland lakes. Differences among lake types suggest that agriculture, tourism, and atmospheric transport may be critical microplastic sources. Microplastic distribution was positively correlated with farmland and artificial surface coverage, showing that land cover types related to human activities could exacerbate microplastic pollution in lakes. Redundancy analysis showed that ammonia nitrogen and pH were the key physicochemical factors affecting microplastic distribution in lakes, indicating the potential sources of microplastics in lakes and the uniqueness of microplastic occurrence characteristics in desert saline-alkaline lakes, respectively.
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Characteristic study of microplastics distribution and response to human activities in nine highland lakes in Yunnan province
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Researchers characterized microplastic distribution patterns across nine highland lakes in Yunnan Province, China, examining abundance, morphology, and polymer types while investigating how human activities influence contamination levels across lakes with differing land-use pressures. The study found that microplastic abundance correlated with proximity to human settlements and agricultural activity, with fibers and fragments as the dominant morphotypes across the surveyed lakes.
Microplastics in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau lakes, China
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Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in lakes across two major Chinese plateaus and found contamination even in these remote, high-altitude environments. Lakes near more human activity (Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau) had significantly higher microplastic levels than the more remote Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with sewage, agriculture, and fishing being the main sources. The study shows that microplastic pollution reaches even supposedly pristine environments, largely through human activity and atmospheric transport.
Microplastics in the surface water of Wuliangsuhai Lake, northern China
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Microplastics were detected in Wuliangsuhai Lake in Inner Mongolia, one of China's largest lakes, at concentrations of 3 to 11 particles per liter, with fibers most abundant and small particles under 2 mm making up 98% of the total. Agricultural wastewater, domestic sewage, and fishery discharges were identified as the main sources of contamination.
Microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and transfer mechanisms
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Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, finding abundances ranging from 17 to 2,644 items/kg dry weight and identifying atmospheric deposition and river transport as key transfer mechanisms to these remote high-altitude lakes.
Heterogenization of microplastic communities in lakes of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau driven by tourism and transport activities
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Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in lakes across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and found that tourism and transportation activities were the primary drivers of contamination differences between sites. Lakes near tourist attractions had significantly higher and more diverse microplastic communities than remote lakes. The study demonstrates that human activity is introducing heterogeneous microplastic pollution even into high-altitude plateau ecosystems.
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