Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Remote alpine lakes and microplastic contamination: Insights from sediment analysis of lake cadagno

Researchers analyzed sediment cores from remote alpine lakes for microplastic contamination, finding evidence of long-range atmospheric transport delivering particles to these isolated high-altitude ecosystems. Microplastic concentrations in the sediments increased over time, mirroring historical trends in global plastic production.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Remote Alpine Lakes and Microplastic Accumulation: Insights from Sediment Analysis of Lake Cadagno

Researchers analyzed sediments from remote alpine Lake Cadagno to assess microplastic contamination in an environment far from direct human activity. The study found that even this isolated lake contains microplastics, demonstrating that atmospheric transport and other long-range pathways carry plastic pollution to remote mountain ecosystems.

2025 Microplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating microplastic transport in remote ecosystems: High-mountain lakes of the western alps

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.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Investigating microplastic transport in remote ecosystems: High-mountain lakes of the western alps

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.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Evidence of microplastics in remote alpine lakes of the eLTER network

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.

2025 Environmental Research Communications
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and Fibre Contamination in a Remote Mountain Lake in Switzerland

Researchers investigated microplastic and fiber contamination in a remote, uninhabited alpine lake in Switzerland (Sassolo), finding that even this isolated high-altitude environment contained microplastics, indicating long-range atmospheric transport.

2020 Water 112 citations
Article Tier 2

High-levels of microplastic pollution in a large, remote, mountain lake

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.

2014 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1428 citations
Article Tier 2

High-mountain lakes as indicators of microplastic pollution: current and future perspectives

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.

2022 37 citations
Article Tier 2

First study on microplastic contamination in French lacustrine environments, in the alpine and subalpine zones

This French-language study reports the first assessment of microplastic contamination in Alpine and sub-Alpine lakes in France. The findings show that even remote mountain lakes have detectable microplastic pollution, suggesting that atmospheric deposition carries plastics to areas far from urban sources.

2023 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Altitudinal variation of microplastic abundance in lakeshore sediments from Italian lakes

Microplastic abundance was measured in lakeshore sediments from Italian lakes across an altitudinal gradient, finding that elevation influenced contamination levels and that even high-altitude lakes in remote areas contained plastic particles.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in the surface waters of Italian Subalpine Lakes

Surface water samples from Italian subalpine lakes were found to contain microplastics, including fibers and fragments, at concentrations suggesting atmospheric deposition and local tourism as contributing sources. The study extends microplastic monitoring to high-altitude freshwater lakes, showing that even remote mountain water bodies are affected by plastic pollution.

2018 Environmental Pollution 368 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial distribution of microplastic contamination on alpine glaciers

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in the supraglacial debris of 13 Alpine glaciers spanning Italy, France, Switzerland, and Austria, collecting 70 debris samples to investigate atmospheric deposition as the primary mechanism by which microplastics reach these remote high-altitude environments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and transfer mechanisms

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, finding abundances ranging from 17 to 2,644 items/kg dry weight and identifying atmospheric deposition and river transport as key transfer mechanisms to these remote high-altitude lakes.

2022 China Geology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in remote alpine lakes

This abstract describes the PLASTILAC project, the first research initiative focused specifically on microplastic contamination in remote alpine lakes in France. The project aims to characterize microplastic sources, degradation pathways, and ecological impacts in high-altitude freshwater environments with minimal direct human activity.

2020 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in a remote lake basin of the Tibetan Plateau: Impacts of atmospheric transport and glacial melting

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in a remote Tibetan Plateau lake basin, finding that both atmospheric transport via rainfall and glacial melting contribute microplastics to this pristine environment, with concentrations increasing in glacial meltwater areas.

2022 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau lakes, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in lakes across two major Chinese plateaus and found contamination even in these remote, high-altitude environments. Lakes near more human activity (Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau) had significantly higher microplastic levels than the more remote Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with sewage, agriculture, and fishing being the main sources. The study shows that microplastic pollution reaches even supposedly pristine environments, largely through human activity and atmospheric transport.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic assessment in remote and high mountain lakes of Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in eight remote, high-altitude lakes in the mountains of northern Pakistan, finding plastic particles in both water and sediment at all locations. Despite the lakes being far from major population centers, microplastics were present at measurable levels, likely transported by wind and water from lower elevations. The contamination of these pristine mountain lakes is concerning because they serve as water sources for local communities.

2024 Chemosphere 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution of lakeshore sediments from remote lakes in Tibet plateau, China

Researchers sampled lakeshore sediments from remote lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, one of the least populated regions on Earth, and found microplastic contamination at every site. The most common plastics identified were polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyethylene, likely transported by atmospheric processes from distant sources. The findings demonstrate that microplastic pollution has reached even the most isolated environments on the planet.

2016 Environmental Pollution 606 citations
Article Tier 2

The emerging issue of microplastics: ongoing investigation in water and sediments of subalpine lakes

This Italian study identified microplastics in subalpine lakes and characterized their polymer types and abundance, adding to evidence that microplastics have reached even remote freshwater ecosystems far from industrial centers. The findings underscore the ubiquity of plastic contamination across diverse freshwater environments.

2019 CINECA IRIS Institutional Research Information System (Fondazione Edmund Mach)
Article Tier 2

Distribution and potential sources of microplastics in sediments in remote lakes of Tibet, China

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in sediments from 12 remote lakes on the Tibetan Plateau in China, an area with minimal human activity. Despite the isolation, they found between 17 and 2,644 microplastic particles per kilogram of dried sediment, levels considered high compared to some other freshwater systems. The findings suggest that long-range atmospheric transport and limited local sources like tourism contribute to microplastic pollution even in some of Earth's most remote environments.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic convergence in high-altitude lakes of the Tibetan Plateau: Mechanisms, indicators, and risk stratification

Researchers assessed microplastic pollution in 14 high-altitude freshwater lakes above 4,500 meters on the Tibetan Plateau, a region far from major human activity. Microplastics were detected at every site, with PET as the dominant polymer type, suggesting long-range atmospheric transport and local textile sources. The study developed a geospatial risk model showing that precipitation, surface runoff, and proximity to roads are key factors driving microplastic accumulation even in these remote environments.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Atmospheric deposition drives microplastic contamination in remote lakes of Newfoundland, Canada

Researchers found significant microplastic contamination in lake sediments across remote areas of Newfoundland, Canada, with concentrations between 6,000 and 24,000 particles per kilogram. Because the lakes are in sparsely populated areas with minimal water inflow, the pollution is attributed to atmospheric transport via wind, rain, and snow from distant sources. The study demonstrates that microplastics can travel through the atmosphere and accumulate even in isolated, high-latitude freshwater environments.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary investigations on microplastic and microfiber pollution in NW Italian Alps glaciers

Researchers conducted preliminary investigations of microplastic and microfiber pollution at four glaciers in the NW Italian Alps, finding that atmospheric transport delivers these micropollutants even to remote high-altitude environments far from urban sources.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Sources Affecting Microplastic Contamination in Mountain Lakes in Tatra National Park

Analysis of 11 Tatra National Park mountain lakes found that global atmospheric transport was the dominant microplastic source rather than local tourism activity, with lake morphometry and elevation influencing contamination levels in these UNESCO-protected alpine ecosystems.

2024 Resources 6 citations