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High-mountain lakes as indicators of microplastic pollution: current and future perspectives
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This review assessed microplastic pollution in high-mountain lakes, finding these remote ecosystems serve as valuable indicators of atmospheric microplastic transport and global contamination patterns despite limited research to date.
As a key component of mountain ecosystems, high-mountain lakes are recognized indicators of global change. In the analysis of the effects induced by local or global human activities, microplastic (MP) pollution is of critical environmental concern for mountain ecosystem compartments and for high-mountain lakes in particular. This minireview reports on current knowledge of MP occurrence, source, distribution, and characteristics in high-mountain lake ecosystems. The literature search returned only nine studies mainly from the Tibet plateau (China). Generally, the two most often investigated compartments were water and sediment, followed by snow and fish. Plastic particles were found as fragments and fibers of polypropylene and polyethylene, which are primarily utilized in food packaging and supplies brought by tourists and then discarded on site. Tourism and atmospheric long-range transport from lowlands were identified as the main sources of MP pollution. Precipitation events (snow and rain) were reported as key events in MP deposition and fallout. Further studies are needed to better understand the effects of MP pollution on aquatic food webs and ecosystem resources (e.g., drinking water) in these key ecosystems.
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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.
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.
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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.
High-levels of microplastic pollution in a large, remote, mountain lake
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Researchers discovered high levels of microplastic pollution in a large, remote mountain lake, finding concentrations comparable to lakes in densely populated areas, suggesting that atmospheric deposition can deliver substantial microplastic loads to even isolated environments.
Evidence of microplastics in remote alpine lakes of the eLTER network
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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.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.