We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
A unified dataset of colocated sewage pollution, periphyton, and benthic macroinvertebrate community and food web structure from Lake Baikal (Siberia)
AI summary Read the abstract
This data paper describes a unified dataset of sewage pollution levels, algal growth (periphyton), and invertebrate communities from Lake Baikal — the world's oldest and deepest freshwater lake. Sewage inputs near lakeside settlements are driving ecological changes in this globally significant freshwater ecosystem. This paper is primarily a dataset description rather than a study of microplastics.
Abstract Sewage released from lakeside development can introduce nutrients and micropollutants that can restructure aquatic ecosystems. Lake Baikal, the world's most ancient, biodiverse, and voluminous freshwater lake, has been experiencing localized sewage pollution from lakeside settlements. Nearby increasing filamentous algal abundance suggests benthic communities are responding to localized pollution. We surveyed 40‐km of Lake Baikal's southwestern shoreline from 19 to 23 August 2015 for sewage indicators, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and microplastics, with colocated periphyton, macroinvertebrate, stable isotope, and fatty acid samplings. The data are structured in a tidy format (a tabular arrangement familiar to limnologists) to encourage reuse. Unique identifiers corresponding to sampling locations are retained throughout all data files to facilitate interoperability among the dataset's 150+ variables. For Lake Baikal studies, these data can support continued monitoring and research efforts. For global studies of lakes, these data can help characterize sewage prevalence and ecological consequences of anthropogenic disturbance across spatial scales.
More Papers Like This
A Multi-Matrix Approach to Studying Microplastic Pollution in Lake Baikal: Where Were the Highest Concentrations Found?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a multi-matrix investigation of microplastic pollution in a bay of Lake Baikal — analyzing surface water, water column, sediment, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates, fish, ice, and snow — to comprehensively characterize MP contamination in one of the world's most biodiverse and least-studied freshwater ecosystems.
Effects of spatially heterogeneous lakeside development on nearshore biotic communities in a large, deep, oligotrophic lake
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how spatially patchy lakeside development affects nearshore ecological communities in Lake Baikal, finding that sewage inputs near settlements promoted filamentous algal growth and altered both food abundance and food quality for invertebrate grazers. The results highlight how even small localized pollution sources can reshape biodiversity in oligotrophic lakes.
Lake-wide assessment of microplastics in the surface waters of Lake Baikal, Siberia
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted the first lake-wide survey of microplastics in Lake Baikal — one of the world's largest and most pristine freshwater bodies — finding concentrations 100 to 1,000 times higher than previous estimates, largely because earlier methods missed the smallest particles.
Microplastics in Sediments of the Littoral Zone and Beach of Lake Baikal
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers quantified microplastic particles of different morphologies in beach and littoral zone sediments of Lake Baikal, the first study to focus specifically on sediment rather than surface water at this iconic lake. Higher concentrations were found in finer sediment fractions near human-use areas, with fibers as the dominant form.
Plastic Pollution of the Coastal Surface Water in the Middle and Southern Baikal
AI summary Read the abstract
For the first time, researchers measured plastic particle concentrations in the surface water of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake, finding up to 75,000 particles per square kilometer in the most populated tourist zones. The discovery of microplastics in one of the world's most pristine and biodiverse lakes highlights the global reach of plastic pollution.
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.