Microplastic Contamination in Snow from Western Italian Alps

Marco Parolini, Diego Antonioli, Franco Borgogno, Maria Cristina Gibellino, Jacopo Fresta, Carlo Albonico, Beatrice De Felice, Susanna Canuto, Donatella Concedi, Alessandra Romani, Emanuela Rosio, Valentina Gianotti, Michele Laus, Roberto Ambrosini and Roberto Cavallo
Additional contact information
Marco Parolini: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
Diego Antonioli: Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via T. Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
Franco Borgogno: European Research Institute, via Pinelli 24/d, 10144 Torino, Italy
Maria Cristina Gibellino: Laboratorio Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambiente della Valle d’Aosta Loc. La Maladière n. 48, Saint Christophe, 11020 Aosta, Italy
Jacopo Fresta: ERICA Soc. Coop., via Santa Margherita, 26, 12051 Cuneo, Italy
Carlo Albonico: Laboratorio Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambiente della Valle d’Aosta Loc. La Maladière n. 48, Saint Christophe, 11020 Aosta, Italy
Beatrice De Felice: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
Susanna Canuto: European Research Institute, via Pinelli 24/d, 10144 Torino, Italy
Donatella Concedi: Laboratorio Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambiente della Valle d’Aosta Loc. La Maladière n. 48, Saint Christophe, 11020 Aosta, Italy
Alessandra Romani: Laboratorio Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambiente della Valle d’Aosta Loc. La Maladière n. 48, Saint Christophe, 11020 Aosta, Italy
Emanuela Rosio: AICA International Association for Environmental Communication, 12051 Cuneo, Italy
Valentina Gianotti: Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via T. Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
Michele Laus: Department of Sciences and Technological Innovation, University of Piemonte Orientale, Via T. Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
Roberto Ambrosini: Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
Roberto Cavallo: ERICA Soc. Coop., via Santa Margherita, 26, 12051 Cuneo, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-10

Abstract: Recent studies have documented the presence of microplastics (MPs) in remote areas, including soils or sediments collected in mountain and glacier environments, but information on their presence in snow is scant. The present study aimed at exploring the presence of MPs in residual snow collected in four locations of the Aosta Valley (Western Italian Alps), with different accessibility and human presence. Overall, the µ-FTIR analyses confirmed the presence of 18 MPs in snow, 7 (39%) items were fibres, while 11 (61%) were fragments. Polyethylene (PE; 7 MPs) was the main polymer, followed by polyethylene terephthalate (PET; 3 MPs), high density PE (HDPE; 3 MPs), polyester (2 MPs), while only 1 MP made by low density PE, polypropylene and polyurethane were found. The mean (± SE) concentration of MPs in snow ranged between 0.39 ± 0.39 MPs/L and 4.91 ± 2.48 MPs/L, with a mean of 2.32 ± 0.96 MPs/L for the sampling locations. The concentration of MPs did not statistically differ among locations. Our results suggest that MPs presence in high-mountain ecosystems might depend on deposition through atmospheric precipitations or local sources due to human activities. For these reasons, policies aiming at reducing plastic use and dispersal in mountain areas may be effective in preventing local MP contamination.

Keywords: MPs; pollution; Aosta Valley; high-mountain; Italian Alps (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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