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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene – a case study on reservoir sediments in Central Europe
ClearReservoir sediments in central Europe as archives of human-environmental interaction during the past 115 years - the example of the Urft Reservoir
Researchers used sediment cores from the Urft Reservoir in Germany spanning 115 years to reconstruct how mining, land-use change, and industrial activity have shaped regional environmental contamination, including the emergence of microplastics in more recent sediment layers.
115 years of sediment deposition in a reservoir in Central Europe: Effects of the industrial history and environmental protection on heavy metals and microplastic
Researchers analyzed 115 years of sediment layers in a German reservoir to track historical patterns of heavy metal and microplastic pollution. They found that heavy metal contamination peaked during the industrial era and declined after environmental regulations were enacted, while microplastics appeared only in more recent decades. The study provides a long-term historical record showing how industrial activity and environmental policy have shaped pollutant accumulation over more than a century.
Potential role of microplastic in sediment as an indicator of Anthropocene
Researchers reviewed global data on microplastic deposits in lake and ocean sediment cores, arguing that microplastics have the potential to serve as a geological marker for the Anthropocene — the human-dominated era — because they are widespread, persistent, and tightly linked to human industrial activity. Alpine lake sediments are recommended as ideal sites for this research due to their stable, high-resolution depositional records.
Tracing the Anthropocene through microplastic sedimentary records: Drivers and spatiotemporal heterogeneity in Baiyangdian Lake, North China
Scientists found that tiny plastic pieces in lake sediment can track how human activities have changed over the past 80 years, with plastic pollution spiking after dam construction in 1963 and again around 2000 due to increased development. The study shows that microplastics are now everywhere in our environment, even in protected nature areas, though at lower levels than in more developed zones. This matters because these tiny plastics can enter our food and water supply, and understanding where they accumulate most helps us better protect both ecosystems and human health.
Tracking the microplastic accumulation from past to present in the freshwater ecosystems: A case study in Susurluk Basin, Turkey
Researchers tracked the historical accumulation of microplastics in freshwater lake sediment cores, finding a steady increase in particle deposition corresponding to rising plastic production since the mid-20th century and demonstrating that sediment archives can reconstruct the timeline of freshwater microplastic pollution.
115 years of sediment deposition in the Urft reservoir (Eifel Mountains, western Germany)
Scientists analyzed 115 years of sediment layers in a German reservoir to track how industrial and human activities have changed environmental conditions over time. Sediment archives like this can reveal when microplastics first appeared in the environment and how their concentrations have changed.
Temporal distribution of microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in four marine species from the Atlantic coast (France)
Researchers examined how microplastic and other anthropogenic particle abundances in lake sediments have changed over time using sediment cores, linking increases to historical industrialization and urbanization. The temporal record provides context for understanding how plastic pollution has accelerated in recent decades.
Soil erosion and sediment dynamics in the Anthropocene: a review of human impacts during a period of rapid global environmental change
This review examines how human activities have altered soil erosion and sediment transport patterns, particularly since the mid-twentieth century. Researchers found that land use changes, deforestation, and agriculture have dramatically increased erosion rates, while dams and reservoirs have disrupted natural sediment flow to oceans. The study highlights how these changes affect global climate, water security, and the transport of pollutants including microplastics through river systems.
Decadal changes in microplastic accumulation in freshwater sediments: Evaluating influencing factors
Researchers analyzed decadal trends in microplastic accumulation using freshwater sediment cores, examining how land use, hydrological factors, and global plastic production influenced deposition over time. Microplastic concentrations increased consistently across cores, with local factors modulating the rate of accumulation at individual sites.
The rapid increases in microplastics in urban lake sediments
Researchers used sediment cores from an urban lake in Wuhan, China, combined with high-resolution dating techniques, to track microplastic accumulation over the past 60 years. They found that microplastic abundance increased more than tenfold, from 741 to 7,707 items per kilogram, with fibers from textiles being the dominant type. The study suggests that microplastics could serve as geological markers of the Anthropocene era, similar to fossils in the sediment record.
Are microplastics the ‘technofossils’ of the Anthropocene?
Researchers reviewed dating methods and microplastic data from sedimentary cores globally, establishing a chronological sequence of microplastic polymer types in sediment records and validating it against 39 published dated cores, demonstrating that microplastic composition can serve as a supplementary dating tool for Anthropocene sediments on a centennial scale.
The use of microplastics as a reliable chronological marker of the Anthropocene onset in Southeastern South America
Researchers analyzed microplastics in sediment cores from the world's largest coastal lagoonal system in southeastern South America, identifying a clear transition from microplastic-free sediments to contaminated layers that aligns with the onset of the Anthropocene.
The Paleoecology of Microplastic Contamination
This paper reviews how paleoecological methods — using naturally accumulating environmental archives like sediment cores — can be applied to reconstruct the historical timeline of microplastic contamination. Long-term records are needed to establish baselines and understand how rapidly microplastic pollution has escalated over the past century.
Microplastics in Sediment Cores from Asia and Africa as Indicators of Temporal Trends in Plastic Pollution
By extracting microplastics from dated sediment cores in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Africa, researchers reconstructed the historical increase in plastic pollution over decades. The study shows that microplastic accumulation in sediments tracks the global rise in plastic production, making sediment cores a useful record of pollution history.
Human activities affect the multidecadal microplastic deposition records in a subtropical urban lake, China
Researchers analyzed sediment cores from a subtropical urban lake in China to reconstruct 64 years of microplastic deposition history. They found that microplastic concentrations in the sediment increased significantly over the decades, correlating closely with urbanization, population growth, and economic development. The study provides evidence that human activities are the primary driver of long-term microplastic accumulation in freshwater lake environments.
Anthropocene microplastic stratigraphy of Xiamen Bay, China: A history of plastic production and waste management
Researchers used a sediment core from Xiamen Bay, China to reconstruct the history of microplastic accumulation since 1952, finding that plastic pollution reflects historical events including the Cultural Revolution and rapid economic growth, with microplastic concentrations reaching 189,200 items/kg at their peak.
Downward migrating microplastics in lake sediments are a tricky indicator for the onset of the Anthropocene
Researchers studying lake sediment cores in northeastern Europe found that microplastics had migrated downward through sediment layers over time, appearing in layers that predate the era of plastic production. This means microplastics cannot be used as a reliable geological marker for the start of the modern era (Anthropocene), because the particles move through sediment rather than staying in place. The finding also highlights that microplastics can travel deeper into soil and sediment than previously assumed, potentially reaching groundwater.
Sediment profiles and recording the effects of anthropogenic activities
Sediment core profiles were used to record the historical accumulation of anthropogenic pollutants including microplastics, heavy metals, and persistent organic compounds in a coastal environment. The stratigraphy provides a timeline of pollution linked to industrialization and population growth.
Chronological evidence of microplastic accumulation and contamination onset in Central Baltic Sea sediments
Analysis of well-preserved Baltic Sea sediment cores revealed a 50-year chronological record of microplastic accumulation, showing contamination onset in the mid-20th century with accelerating deposition in recent decades.
CORE 100 The Anthropocene
This university course introduces the concept of the Anthropocene, examining how human activity has fundamentally altered Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and land surfaces. Microplastic pollution is one of the defining markers of the Anthropocene, present in sediments and ecosystems worldwide.