Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs

Veronica Nava (), Sudeep Chandra, Julian Aherne, María B. Alfonso, Ana M. Antão-Geraldes, Katrin Attermeyer, Roberto Bao, Mireia Bartrons, Stella A. Berger, Marcin Biernaczyk, Raphael Bissen, Justin D. Brookes, David Brown, Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles, Moisés Canle, Camilla Capelli, Rafael Carballeira, José Luis Cereijo, Sakonvan Chawchai, Søren T. Christensen, Kirsten S. Christoffersen, Elvira Eyto, Jorge Delgado, Tyler N. Dornan, Jonathan P. Doubek, Julia Dusaucy, Oxana Erina, Zeynep Ersoy, Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Maria Luce Frezzotti, Silvia Galafassi, David Gateuille, Vitor Gonçalves, Hans-Peter Grossart, David P. Hamilton, Ted D. Harris, Külli Kangur, Gökben Başaran Kankılıç, Rebecca Kessler, Christine Kiel, Edward M. Krynak, Àngels Leiva-Presa, Fabio Lepori, Miguel G. Matias, Shin-ichiro S. Matsuzaki, Yvonne McElarney, Beata Messyasz, Mark Mitchell, Musa C. Mlambo, Samuel N. Motitsoe, Sarma Nandini, Valentina Orlandi, Caroline Owens, Deniz Özkundakci, Solvig Pinnow, Agnieszka Pociecha, Pedro Miguel Raposeiro, Eva-Ingrid Rõõm, Federica Rotta, Nico Salmaso, S. S. S. Sarma, Davide Sartirana, Facundo Scordo, Claver Sibomana, Daniel Siewert, Katarzyna Stepanowska, Ülkü Nihan Tavşanoğlu, Maria Tereshina, James Thompson, Monica Tolotti, Amanda Valois, Piet Verburg, Brittany Welsh, Brian Wesolek, Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer, Naicheng Wu, Edyta Zawisza, Lauren Zink and Barbara Leoni
Additional contact information
Veronica Nava: University of Milano-Bicocca
Sudeep Chandra: Global Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada
Julian Aherne: Trent University
María B. Alfonso: Kyushu University
Ana M. Antão-Geraldes: Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
Katrin Attermeyer: WasserCluster Lunz - Biologische Station
Roberto Bao: University of A Coruña
Mireia Bartrons: University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia
Stella A. Berger: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Marcin Biernaczyk: West Pomeranian University of Technology
Raphael Bissen: Chulalongkorn University
Justin D. Brookes: University of Adelaide
David Brown: Horizons Regional Council
Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles: FEHM-Lab
Moisés Canle: University of A Coruña
Camilla Capelli: University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)
Rafael Carballeira: University of A Coruña
José Luis Cereijo: University of A Coruña
Sakonvan Chawchai: Chulalongkorn University
Søren T. Christensen: Cphbusiness - Laboratory and Environment
Kirsten S. Christoffersen: University of Copenhagen
Elvira Eyto: Marine Institute
Jorge Delgado: University of A Coruña
Tyler N. Dornan: University of Adelaide
Jonathan P. Doubek: Lake Superior State University
Julia Dusaucy: Savoie Mont Blanc University, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, EDYTEM
Oxana Erina: Lomonosov Moscow State University
Zeynep Ersoy: Universitat de Barcelona (UB)
Heidrun Feuchtmayr: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Maria Luce Frezzotti: University of Milano-Bicocca
Silvia Galafassi: Water Research Institute, National Research Council
David Gateuille: Savoie Mont Blanc University, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, EDYTEM
Vitor Gonçalves: Universidade dos Açores
Hans-Peter Grossart: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
David P. Hamilton: Griffith University
Ted D. Harris: University of Kansas
Külli Kangur: Estonian University of Life Sciences
Gökben Başaran Kankılıç: Kırıkkale University
Rebecca Kessler: University of Kansas
Christine Kiel: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Edward M. Krynak: Global Water Center, Department of Biology, University of Nevada
Àngels Leiva-Presa: University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia
Fabio Lepori: University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)
Miguel G. Matias: Universidade de Évora
Shin-ichiro S. Matsuzaki: National Institute for Environmental Studies
Yvonne McElarney: Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
Beata Messyasz: Adam Mickiewicz University
Mark Mitchell: Horizons Regional Council
Musa C. Mlambo: Albany Museum
Samuel N. Motitsoe: Rhodes University
Sarma Nandini: FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Valentina Orlandi: University of Milano-Bicocca
Caroline Owens: University of California, Santa Barbara
Deniz Özkundakci: The University of Waikato
Solvig Pinnow: Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Agnieszka Pociecha: Polish Academy of Sciences
Pedro Miguel Raposeiro: Universidade dos Açores
Eva-Ingrid Rõõm: Estonian University of Life Sciences
Federica Rotta: University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)
Nico Salmaso: Fondazione Edmund Mach
S. S. S. Sarma: FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Davide Sartirana: University of Milano-Bicocca
Facundo Scordo: Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)-CONICET
Claver Sibomana: University of Burundi
Daniel Siewert: Wdecki Park Krajobrazowy
Katarzyna Stepanowska: West Pomeranian University of Technology
Ülkü Nihan Tavşanoğlu: Çankırı Karatekin University
Maria Tereshina: Lomonosov Moscow State University
James Thompson: Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute
Monica Tolotti: Fondazione Edmund Mach
Amanda Valois: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Freshwater Ecology
Piet Verburg: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Freshwater Ecology
Brittany Welsh: Trent University
Brian Wesolek: Bay Mills Indian Community
Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer: Limnology Group, Uppsala University
Naicheng Wu: Ningbo University
Edyta Zawisza: Polish Academy of Sciences
Lauren Zink: University of Lethbridge
Barbara Leoni: University of Milano-Bicocca

Nature, 2023, vol. 619, issue 7969, 317-322

Abstract: Abstract Plastic debris is thought to be widespread in freshwater ecosystems globally1. However, a lack of comprehensive and comparable data makes rigorous assessment of its distribution challenging2,3. Here we present a standardized cross-national survey that assesses the abundance and type of plastic debris (>250 μm) 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 debris4. 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.

Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06168-4

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