Abstract
As a key component of mountain ecosystems, high-mountain lakes are recognized indicators of global change. In the analysis of the effects induced by local or global human activities, microplastic (MP) pollution is of critical environmental concern for mountain ecosystem compartments and for high-mountain lakes in particular. This minireview reports on current knowledge of MP occurrence, source, distribution, and characteristics in high-mountain lake ecosystems. The literature search returned only nine studies mainly from the Tibet plateau (China). Generally, the two most often investigated compartments were water and sediment, followed by snow and fish. Plastic particles were found as fragments and fibers of polypropylene and polyethylene, which are primarily utilized in food packaging and supplies brought by tourists and then discarded on site. Tourism and atmospheric long-range transport from lowlands were identified as the main sources of MP pollution. Precipitation events (snow and rain) were reported as key events in MP deposition and fallout. Further studies are needed to better understand the effects of MP pollution on aquatic food webs and ecosystem resources (e.g., drinking water) in these key ecosystems.
Highlights
High-mountain lakes share numerous similarities[1], the foremost of which are pristine naturalness and environmental constraints[2]: low water temperature, low nutrient concentration, and prolonged ice cover all limit primary production[3]
Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) were two frequent polymer types recorded in the samples from high-mountain lakes, and they are common MP contaminants in European freshwater ecosystems[73]
Microplastics were detected in Lake Crater (Turkey), which is far from settlement sites[67]; because of their low specific density, they are transported to higher altitudes via wind currents, and settle over sediments during precipitation events[51]
Summary
High-mountain lakes share numerous similarities[1], the foremost of which are pristine naturalness and environmental constraints[2]: low water temperature, low nutrient concentration (e.g., of phosphorus), and prolonged ice cover all limit primary production[3]. The source of MPs in high-mountain ecosystems is human activities and atmospheric conditions with seasonal variability[41]. Microplastics can be introduced into remote environments, mountainous terrains and foothills, and high-mountain lakes by the deterioration and fragmentation of plastic items washed up on beaches and carried back into the sea by the wind[51].
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