| Title | Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs |
| Abstract | Plastic debris is thought to be widespread in freshwater ecosystems globally(1). However, a lack of comprehensive and comparable data makes rigorous assessment of its distribution challenging(2,3). Here we present a standardized cross-national survey that assesses the abundance and type of plastic debris (>250 mu m) in freshwater ecosystems. We sample surface waters of 38 lakes and reservoirs, distributed across gradients of geographical position and limnological attributes, with the aim to identify factors associated with an increased observation of plastics. We find plastic debris in all studied lakes and reservoirs, suggesting that these ecosystems play a key role in the plastic-pollution cycle. Our results indicate that two types of lakes are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination: lakes and reservoirs in densely populated and urbanized areas and large lakes and reservoirs with elevated deposition areas, long water-retention times and high levels of anthropogenic influence. Plastic concentrations vary widely among lakes; in the most polluted, concentrations reach or even exceed those reported in the subtropical oceanic gyres, marine areas collecting large amounts of debris(4). Our findings highlight the importance of including lakes and reservoirs when addressing plastic pollution, in the context of pollution management and for the continued provision of lake ecosystem services. |
| Source | Nature (Lond.) 619 (7969), pp. 317–+ |
| Keywords | microplasticsfreshwaterlakesreservoirs |
| Journal | Nature (Lond.) |
| Editor | Macmillan, London, Regno Unito |
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Articolo in rivista |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41586-023-06168-4 |
| Authors | Nava, Veronica; Chandra, Sudeep; Aherne, Julian; Alfonso, Maria B.; Antao-Geraldes, Ana M.; Attermeyer, Katrin; Bao, Roberto; Bartrons, Mireia; Berger, Stella A.; Biernaczyk, Marcin; Bissen, Raphael; Brookes, Justin D.; Brown, David; Canedo-Argueelles, Miguel; Canle, Moises; Capelli, Camilla; Carballeira, Rafael; Cereijo, Jose Luis; Chawchai, Sakonvan; Christensen, Soren T.; Christoffersen, Kirsten S.; de Eyto, Elvira; Delgado, Jorge; Dornan, Tyler N.; Doubek, Jonathan P.; Dusaucy, Julia; Erina, Oxana; Ersoy, Zeynep; Feuchtmayr, Heidrun; Frezzotti, Maria Luce; Galafassi, Silvia; Gateuille, David; Goncalves, Vitor; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Hamilton, David P.; Harris, Ted D.; Kangur, Kuelli; Kankilic, Goekben Basaran; Kessler, Rebecca; Kiel, Christine; Krynak, Edward M.; Leiva-Presa, Angels; Lepori, Fabio; Matias, Miguel G.; Matsuzaki, Shin-ichiro S.; McElarney, Yvonne; Messyasz, Beata; Mitchell, Mark; Mlambo, Musa C.; Motitsoe, Samuel N.; Nandini, Sarma; Orlandi, Valentina; Owens, Caroline; Ozkundakci, Deniz; Pinnow, Solvig; Pociecha, Agnieszka; Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel; Room, Eva-Ingrid; Rotta, Federica; Salmaso, Nico; Sarma, S. S. S.; Sartirana, Davide; Scordo, Facundo; Sibomana, Claver; Siewert, Daniel; Stepanowska, Katarzyna; Tavsanoglu, UlkU Nihan; Tereshina, Maria; Thompson, James; Tolotti, Monica; Valois, Amanda; Verburg, Piet; Welsh, Brittany; Wesolek, Brian; Weyhenmeyer, Gesa A.; Wu, Naicheng; Zawisza, Edyta; Zink, Lauren; Leoni, Barbara |
| Text | 486990 2023 10.1038/s41586 023 06168 4 ISI Web of Science WOS 001032441500020 microplastics freshwater lakes reservoirs Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs Nava, Veronica; Chandra, Sudeep; Aherne, Julian; Alfonso, Maria B.; Antao Geraldes, Ana M.; Attermeyer, Katrin; Bao, Roberto; Bartrons, Mireia; Berger, Stella A.; Biernaczyk, Marcin; Bissen, Raphael; Brookes, Justin D.; Brown, David; Canedo Argueelles, Miguel; Canle, Moises; Capelli, Camilla; Carballeira, Rafael; Cereijo, Jose Luis; Chawchai, Sakonvan; Christensen, Soren T.; Christoffersen, Kirsten S.; de Eyto, Elvira; Delgado, Jorge; Dornan, Tyler N.; Doubek, Jonathan P.; Dusaucy, Julia; Erina, Oxana; Ersoy, Zeynep; Feuchtmayr, Heidrun; Frezzotti, Maria Luce; Galafassi, Silvia; Gateuille, David; Goncalves, Vitor; Grossart, Hans Peter; Hamilton, David P.; Harris, Ted D.; Kangur, Kuelli; Kankilic, Goekben Basaran; Kessler, Rebecca; Kiel, Christine; Krynak, Edward M.; Leiva Presa, Angels; Lepori, Fabio; Matias, Miguel G.; Matsuzaki, Shin ichiro S.; McElarney, Yvonne; Messyasz, Beata; Mitchell, Mark; Mlambo, Musa C.; Motitsoe, Samuel N.; Nandini, Sarma; Orlandi, Valentina; Owens, Caroline; Ozkundakci, Deniz; Pinnow, Solvig; Pociecha, Agnieszka; Raposeiro, Pedro Miguel; Room, Eva Ingrid; Rotta, Federica; Salmaso, Nico; Sarma, S. S. S.; Sartirana, Davide; Scordo, Facundo; Sibomana, Claver; Siewert, Daniel; Stepanowska, Katarzyna; Tavsanoglu, UlkU Nihan; Tereshina, Maria; Thompson, James; Tolotti, Monica; Valois, Amanda; Verburg, Piet; Welsh, Brittany; Wesolek, Brian; Weyhenmeyer, Gesa A.; Wu, Naicheng; Zawisza, Edyta; Zink, Lauren; Leoni, Barbara Univ Milano Bicocca; Univ Nevada; Univ Nevada; Trent Univ; Kyushu Univ; Inst Politecn Braganca; Inst Politecn Braganca; WasserCluster Lunz; Univ Vienna; Univ A Coruna; Cent Univ Catalonia; Leibniz Inst Freshwater Ecol Inland Fisheries; West Pomeranian Univ Technol; Chulalongkorn Univ; Univ Adelaide; Horizons Reg Council; Inst Environm Assessment Water Res IDAEA CSIC; Univ A Coruna; Univ A Coruna; Univ Appl Sci Arts Southern Switzerland SUPSI; Univ Valencia; Univ A Coruna; Chulalongkorn Univ; Cphbusiness Lab Environm; Univ Copenhagen; Marine Inst; Lake Super State Univ; Lake Super State Univ; Univ Grenoble Alpes; Lomonosov Moscow State Univ; Moscow State Univ Technol Management FCU; Univ Barcelona UB; Univ Barcelona UB; Univ Evora; UK Ctr Ecol Hydrol; CNR; Univ Acores; Univ Acores; Potsdam Univ; Griffith Univ; Univ Kansas; Univ Kansas; Estonian Univ Life Sci; Kirikkale Univ; CSIC; Natl Inst Environm Studies; Agrifood Biosci Inst; Adam Mickiewicz Univ; Horizons Reg Council; Albany Museum; Rhodes Univ; Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico; Univ Calif Santa Barbara; Univ Waikato; Polish Acad Sci; Estonian Univ Life Sci; Fdn Edmund Mach; Univ Nacl Sur UNS; Univ Nacl Sur; Univ Burundi; Wdecki Pk Krajobrazowy; Cankiri Karatekin Univ; Ulster Univ; Freshwater Ecol; Freshwater Ecol; Bay Mills Indian Community; Uppsala Univ; Ningbo Univ; Polish Acad Sci; Univ Lethbridge Plastic debris is thought to be widespread in freshwater ecosystems globally 1 . However, a lack of comprehensive and comparable data makes rigorous assessment of its distribution challenging 2,3 . Here we present a standardized cross national survey that assesses the abundance and type of plastic debris >250 mu m in freshwater ecosystems. We sample surface waters of 38 lakes and reservoirs, distributed across gradients of geographical position and limnological attributes, with the aim to identify factors associated with an increased observation of plastics. We find plastic debris in all studied lakes and reservoirs, suggesting that these ecosystems play a key role in the plastic pollution cycle. Our results indicate that two types of lakes are particularly vulnerable to plastic contamination lakes and reservoirs in densely populated and urbanized areas and large lakes and reservoirs with elevated deposition areas, long water retention times and high levels of anthropogenic influence. Plastic concentrations vary widely among lakes; in the most polluted, concentrations reach or even exceed those reported in the subtropical oceanic gyres, marine areas collecting large amounts of debris 4 . Our findings highlight the importance of including lakes and reservoirs when addressing plastic pollution, in the context of pollution management and for the continued provision of lake ecosystem services. 619 Published version Articolo in rivista Macmillan 0028 0836 Nature Lond. Nature Lond. Nature Lond. Nature Lond. silvia.galafassi GALAFASSI SILVIA |
