Microplastic pollution and ecotoxicological risk in high-altitude glacial lakes of Durmitor, Montenegro.

Fuente: PubMed
Salvato in:
Dettagli Bibliografici
Autori principali: Bošković, Neda, Jaćimović, Željko, Jerman, Ivan, Race, Andrej, Trebše, Polonca, Bajt, Oliver
Natura: Artículo científico
Lingua:en
Pubblicazione: Scientific reports 2026
Accesso online:
Tags: Aggiungi Tag
Nessun Tag, puoi essere il primo ad aggiungerne!!
_version_ 1868266051102310402
author Bošković, Neda
Jaćimović, Željko
Jerman, Ivan
Race, Andrej
Trebše, Polonca
Bajt, Oliver
author_facet Bošković, Neda
Jaćimović, Željko
Jerman, Ivan
Race, Andrej
Trebše, Polonca
Bajt, Oliver
Bošković, Neda
Jaćimović, Željko
Jerman, Ivan
Race, Andrej
Trebše, Polonca
Bajt, Oliver
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Microplastic pollution and ecotoxicological risk in high-altitude glacial lakes of Durmitor, Montenegro. Bošković, Neda Jaćimović, Željko Jerman, Ivan Race, Andrej Trebše, Polonca Bajt, Oliver Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as widespread contaminants in aquatic environments, including remote freshwater systems, where their presence is linked to waste generation and transport pathways. This study examined the occurrence, spatial-temporal distribution, polymer composition, and ecological risks of MPs in surface sediments from Black Lake and Devil Lake, two high-altitude glacial lakes in Durmitor National Park, Montenegro. Sediment samples were collected across three seasons and analyzed using standardized methods, including density separation, visual identification, and polymer characterization. MPs abundance averaged 5.1 ± 1.4 items per 100 g of dry sediment in Black Lake and 3.8 ± 0.5 items per 100 g in Devil Lake. Fibers and fragments were dominant morphotypes, with particles sized 1-3 mm prevailing. Blue particles were most frequent. Five polymer types were identified, with polyethylene as the dominant polymer. Pollution load index values indicated moderate contamination, while polymer hazard and ecological risk indices suggested high to very high environmental risk. The presence of MPs in protected, high-altitude glacial lakes highlights their vulnerability to diffuse pollution sources, including tourism and long-range transport. The findings provide baseline data for alpine freshwater environments and underline the importance of integrating MPs pollution into waste management and environmental protection strategies.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_42103898
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2026
publisher Scientific reports
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Microplastic pollution and ecotoxicological risk in high-altitude glacial lakes of Durmitor, Montenegro.
Bošković, Neda
Jaćimović, Željko
Jerman, Ivan
Race, Andrej
Trebše, Polonca
Bajt, Oliver
Microplastic pollution and ecotoxicological risk in high-altitude glacial lakes of Durmitor, Montenegro. Bošković, Neda Jaćimović, Željko Jerman, Ivan Race, Andrej Trebše, Polonca Bajt, Oliver Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as widespread contaminants in aquatic environments, including remote freshwater systems, where their presence is linked to waste generation and transport pathways. This study examined the occurrence, spatial-temporal distribution, polymer composition, and ecological risks of MPs in surface sediments from Black Lake and Devil Lake, two high-altitude glacial lakes in Durmitor National Park, Montenegro. Sediment samples were collected across three seasons and analyzed using standardized methods, including density separation, visual identification, and polymer characterization. MPs abundance averaged 5.1 ± 1.4 items per 100 g of dry sediment in Black Lake and 3.8 ± 0.5 items per 100 g in Devil Lake. Fibers and fragments were dominant morphotypes, with particles sized 1-3 mm prevailing. Blue particles were most frequent. Five polymer types were identified, with polyethylene as the dominant polymer. Pollution load index values indicated moderate contamination, while polymer hazard and ecological risk indices suggested high to very high environmental risk. The presence of MPs in protected, high-altitude glacial lakes highlights their vulnerability to diffuse pollution sources, including tourism and long-range transport. The findings provide baseline data for alpine freshwater environments and underline the importance of integrating MPs pollution into waste management and environmental protection strategies.
title Microplastic pollution and ecotoxicological risk in high-altitude glacial lakes of Durmitor, Montenegro.
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42103898/