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Seasonal Comparative Monitoring of Plastic and Microplastic Pollution in Lake Garda (Italy) Using Seabin During Summer–Autumn 2024
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Researchers conducted seasonal comparative monitoring of plastic and microplastic pollution in Lake Garda, Italy, using a Seabin floating debris collection device during summer and autumn, assessing fluctuations in plastic abundance and composition across seasons in a major freshwater body.
Plastic (P) and microplastic (MP) pollution in marine and freshwater environments is an increasingly urgent issue that needs to be addressed at many levels. The Seabin (an easily operated and cost-effective floating debris collection device) can help clean up buoyant plastic debris in calm waters while monitoring water pollution. A Seabin was used to conduct a comparative analysis of plastic and microplastic concentrations in northern Lake Garda (Italy) during peak and low tourist seasons. The composition of the litter was further investigated using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The analysis showed a decreased mean amount of plastic from summer (32.5 mg/m3) to autumn (17.6 mg/m3), with an average number of collected microplastics per day of 45 ± 15 and 15 ± 3, respectively. Packaging and foam accounted for 92.2% of the recognized plastic waste products. The material composition of the plastic mass (442 pieces, 103.0 g) was mainly identified as polypropylene (PP, 47.1%) and polyethylene (PE, 21.8%). Moreover, 313 microplastics (approximately 2.0 g) were counted with average weight in the range of 1–16 mg. A case study of selected plastic debris was also conducted. Spectroscopic, microscopic, and thermal analysis of specimens provided insights into how aging affects plastics in this specific environment. The purpose of this study was to establish a baseline for further research on the topic, to provide guidelines for similar analyses from a multidisciplinary perspective, to monitor plastic pollution in Lake Garda, and to inform policy makers, scientists, and the public.
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Simultaneous Sampling of Plastic Waste and Alien Species in the Northernmost Part of Lake Garda (Italy) Using Seabin During Winter Season
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Scientists used a floating trash collector called a Seabin to remove plastic waste from Italy's Lake Garda during winter and found significant amounts of tiny plastic pieces called microplastics in the water. The device collected over 90 grams of plastic waste, including about 13 pieces of microplastics per day, which is concerning because these tiny plastics can end up in drinking water and food. This study shows that even during quiet winter months when fewer people visit the lake, plastic pollution remains a serious problem that could affect human health.
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Researchers conducted monthly sampling of floating plastics in Lake Maggiore in northern Italy throughout 2022, finding a 13-fold difference in plastic concentration between the lowest (September) and highest (December) months. The study demonstrates that single or seasonal snapshots significantly underestimate the true extent of plastic pollution in lakes and that frequent monitoring is needed for accurate environmental assessments.
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Researchers sampled five beaches on Lake Garda using transects and sediment cores to determine optimal microplastic sampling zones, finding that the drift line consistently accumulates plastic particles across all beaches and provides the most comparable and representative sampling location for lake microplastic assessments.
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