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Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs

Nature 2023 356 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.
María Belén Alfonso, María Belén Alfonso, Silvia Galafassi, María Belén Alfonso, Silvia Galafassi, Brittany Welsh, Lauren Zink, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Silvia Galafassi, María Belén Alfonso, Lauren Zink, Lauren Zink, Lauren Zink, Lauren Zink, Lauren Zink, Veronica Nava, Lauren Zink, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Veronica Nava, María Belén Alfonso, Lauren Zink, Silvia Galafassi, Silvia Galafassi, Lauren Zink, Lauren Zink, Federica Rotta, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Barbara Leoni María Belén Alfonso, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, María Belén Alfonso, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, María Belén Alfonso, Veronica Nava, Veronica Nava, María Belén Alfonso, Veronica Nava, Julia Dusaucy, Julia Dusaucy, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Silvia Galafassi, Veronica Nava, Raphael Bissen, Veronica Nava, Veronica Nava, David Gateuille, Veronica Nava, David Gateuille, David Gateuille, David Gateuille, Silvia Galafassi, Miguel G. Matias, Miguel G. Matias, Miguel G. Matias, Miguel G. Matias, Miguel G. Matias, Musa C. Mlambo, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Samuel N. Motitsoe, Samuel N. Motitsoe, Julian Aherne, Julian Aherne, Julian Aherne, Julian Aherne, Naicheng Wu, Julia Dusaucy, Amanda Valois, Amanda Valois, Maria Luce Frezzotti, Maria Luce Frezzotti, Julia Dusaucy, Julia Dusaucy, Sakonvan Chawchai, Miguel Cañedo‐Argüelles, Miguel Cañedo‐Argüelles, David Gateuille, Beata Messyasz, Julian Aherne, Lauren Zink, Julian Aherne, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Facundo Scordo, Facundo Scordo, Facundo Scordo, Julian Aherne, S. S. S. Sarma, Barbara Leoni S. Nandini, Julian Aherne, S. Nandini, S. Nandini, S. Nandini, María Belén Alfonso, Barbara Leoni Silvia Galafassi, Julian Aherne, Silvia Galafassi, Silvia Galafassi, María Belén Alfonso, Silvia Galafassi, Sudeep Chandra, Sudeep Chandra, María Belén Alfonso, María Belén Alfonso, Julian Aherne, Camilla Capelli, María Belén Alfonso, Miguel G. Matias, Miguel G. Matias, Miguel G. Matias, Sakonvan Chawchai, Barbara Leoni Silvia Galafassi, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, María Belén Alfonso, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Julian Aherne, Silvia Galafassi, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, María Belén Alfonso, Barbara Leoni Silvia Galafassi, Federica Rotta, Julian Aherne, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Naicheng Wu, Naicheng Wu, Julian Aherne, Julian Aherne, Julian Aherne, S. S. S. Sarma, S. S. S. Sarma, Hans‐Peter Grossart, S. S. S. Sarma, María Belén Alfonso, S. S. S. Sarma, Veronica Nava, Julian Aherne, Julian Aherne, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, S. Nandini, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Barbara Leoni Julian Aherne, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Stella A. Berger, Beata Messyasz, Julian Aherne, Beata Messyasz, Musa C. Mlambo, Fabio Lepori, Beata Messyasz, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Camilla Capelli, Naicheng Wu, Julian Aherne, Julian Aherne, Barbara Leoni Julian Aherne, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Silvia Galafassi, Silvia Galafassi, Veronica Nava, Vítor Gonçalves, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, María Belén Alfonso, María Belén Alfonso, Beata Messyasz, Beata Messyasz, Beata Messyasz, Beata Messyasz, Claver Sibomana, Raphael Bissen, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Barbara Leoni David Gateuille, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Ana Maria Geraldes, Barbara Leoni Pedro M. Raposeiro, Zeynep Ersoy, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Barbara Leoni Zeynep Ersoy, Barbara Leoni Julian Aherne, Julian Aherne, David Gateuille, Barbara Leoni Hans‐Peter Grossart, Zeynep Ersoy, Barbara Leoni Ana Maria Geraldes, Musa C. Mlambo, Pedro M. Raposeiro, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Katrin Attermeyer, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Veronica Nava, Katrin Attermeyer, Silvia Galafassi, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Julian Aherne, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Pedro M. Raposeiro, Pedro M. Raposeiro, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Sudeep Chandra, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Roberto Bao, Naicheng Wu, Naicheng Wu, Naicheng Wu, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Silvia Galafassi, Silvia Galafassi, Brittany Welsh, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Brittany Welsh, Fabio Lepori, Mireia Bartrons, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Mireia Bartrons, Naicheng Wu, Julian Aherne, Barbara Leoni Stella A. Berger, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Naicheng Wu, S. Nandini, Marcin Biernaczyk, Veronica Nava, Raphael Bissen, Barbara Leoni Barbara Leoni Marcin Biernaczyk, S. S. S. Sarma, Barbara Leoni Justin D. Brookes, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Justin D. Brookes, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, David Brown, Miguel Cañedo‐Argüelles, Miguel Cañedo‐Argüelles, Miguel Cañedo‐Argüelles, Julian Aherne, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Moisés Canle, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Moisés Canle, Camilla Capelli, Rafael Carballeira, Rafael Carballeira, José Luis Cereijo-Arango, José Luis Cereijo-Arango, Sakonvan Chawchai, Kirsten Christoffersen, Søren T. Christensen, Barbara Leoni Kirsten Christoffersen, Federica Rotta, Elvira de Eyto, Elvira de Eyto, Veronica Nava, Jordi Delgado Martín, Tyler N. Dornan, Miguel Cañedo‐Argüelles, Jonathan P. Doubek, Jonathan P. Doubek, Julia Dusaucy, Julia Dusaucy, Oxana Erina, Oxana Erina, Zeynep Ersoy, Elvira de Eyto, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Zeynep Ersoy, Maria Luce Frezzotti, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Silvia Galafassi, David Gateuille, Silvia Galafassi, Nico Salmaso, Vítor Gonçalves, Vítor Gonçalves, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Hans‐Peter Grossart, David P. Hamilton, David P. Hamilton, Ted D. Harris, Külli Kangur, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Rebecca Kessler, Rebecca Kessler, Christine Kiel, Külli Kangur, Edward M. Krynak, Àngels Leiva‐Presa, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Fabio Lepori, Miguel G. Matias, Shin‐ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Yvonne McElarney, Àngels Leiva‐Presa, Beata Messyasz, Fabio Lepori, Mark Mitchell, Mark Mitchell, Musa C. Mlambo, Samuel N. Motitsoe, Miguel G. Matias, Shin‐ichiro S. Matsuzaki, S. Nandini, Valentina Orlandi, Valentina Orlandi, Yvonne McElarney, Caroline Owens, Deniz Özkundakci, Solvig Pinnow, Solvig Pinnow, Beata Messyasz, Agnieszka Pociecha, Pedro M. Raposeiro, Musa C. Mlambo, S. Nandini, Eva‐Ingrid Rõõm, Federica Rotta, Nico Salmaso, S. S. S. Sarma, Deniz Özkundakci, Davide Sartirana, Agnieszka Pociecha, Facundo Scordo, Pedro M. Raposeiro, Claver Sibomana, Daniel Siewert, Eva‐Ingrid Rõõm, Daniel Siewert, Katarzyna Stepanowska, Nico Salmaso, S. S. S. Sarma, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Maria Tereshina, Facundo Scordo, James A. Thompson, Monica Tolotti, Claver Sibomana, Katarzyna Stepanowska, Amanda Valois, Ülkü Nіhan Tavşanoğlu, Piet Verburg, Brittany Welsh, Brittany Welsh, Brian E. Wesolek, Brian E. Wesolek, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Amanda Valois, Naicheng Wu, Edyta Zawisza, Piet Verburg, Lauren Zink, Barbara Leoni Brian E. Wesolek, Brian E. Wesolek, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Edyta Zawisza, Lauren Zink, Barbara Leoni

Summary

Researchers conducted the first standardized cross-national survey of plastic debris in 38 lakes and reservoirs, finding plastic in every water body sampled and showing that densely populated urban lakes and large reservoirs with long water-retention times accumulate plastic at concentrations rivaling the most polluted ocean garbage patches.

Plastic debris is thought to be widespread in freshwater ecosystems globally. However, a lack of comprehensive and comparable data makes rigorous assessment of its distribution challenging. Here we present a standardized cross-national survey that assesses the abundance and type of plastic debris (>250 μm) in freshwater ecosystems. We sample surface waters of 38 lakes and reservoirs, distributed across gradients of geographical position and limnological attributes, with the aim to identify factors associated with an increased observation of plastics. We find plastic debris in all studied lakes and reservoirs, suggesting that these ecosystems play a key role in the plastic-pollution cycle. Our results indicate that two types of lakes are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination: lakes and reservoirs in densely populated and urbanized areas and large lakes and reservoirs with elevated deposition areas, long water-retention times and high levels of anthropogenic influence. Plastic concentrations vary widely among lakes; in the most polluted, concentrations reach or even exceed those reported in the subtropical oceanic gyres, marine areas collecting large amounts of debris. Our findings highlight the importance of including lakes and reservoirs when addressing plastic pollution, in the context of pollution management and for the continued provision of lake ecosystem services.

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