Remote Alpine Lakes and Microplastic Accumulation: Insights from Sediment Analysis of Lake Cadagno
As a contribution to Colin Courtney-Mustaphi’s continued interest in the application of sedimentological analyses to understanding environmental pollution. In the past, Colin has published on pollution in the Canadian Arctic (Outridge et al., 2017) and total Mercury (Hg) accumulated in the sediments of Lake Victoria, eastern Africa (Courtney Mustaphi et al., 2025).
Abstract:
Microplastic (MP) occurrence is a growing concern in environmental research, with significant attention focused on its presence in various ecosystems worldwide. While much research has centered on large lakes and water bodies, remote alpine lakes remain relatively unexplored in terms of microplastic occurrence. Studying microplastic occurrence in remote alpine lakes is important to understand the global spread of pollution, assess its impact on pristine ecosystems, and inform conservation efforts in these vulnerable environments. This study investigates microplastic presence in the sediment of Lake Cadagno, a remote alpine lake situated in the Piora Valley of southern central Switzerland. The lake has no effluents, and its meromictic nature means that the water on the bottom is not mixed with the water above, which can potentially lead to an enhanced accumulation of microplastics in the sediments that perpetuate in the lake system. Through sediment core sampling and analysis, we aim to identify the sources and deposition trends of microplastics in this pristine alpine environment. Our findings reveal the presence of microplastic within Lake Cadagno: in total, 186 MP particles were extracted from 756 cm3 of processed sediment (0.24 MP/cm3) with an average of 19.5 MP/sample (SD ± 11.8 MP/sample). Our results suggest that microplastics are predominantly attributable to localized sources associated with nearby human activities. The absence of synthetic fibers and the limited polymer types detected suggest a minimal contribution from atmospheric deposition, reinforcing the significance of local anthropogenic influences. Spatial clustering of microplastic particles near potential sources underscores the impact of surrounding land use activities on microplastic distribution. Overall, this study highlights the importance of addressing microplastic contamination even in remote and relatively unmodified ecosystems like Lake Cadagno, to elucidate the need for strict adherence to waste management and correct disposal actions to reduce the impacts of microplastic contamination. (Abel et al., 2025)
Keywords:
microplastics; alpine lakes; sediments; µFTIR; accumulation trends; littering
References:
Abel S, Courtney Mustaphi C, Damber M, Burckhardt-Holm P. 2025. Remote alpine lakes and microplastic accumulation: insights from sediment analysis of Lake Cadagno. Microplastics 4(2), 25. [CC BY 4.0 Open Access] https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4020025
Courtney Mustaphi CJ, Camara-Brugger SO, Ekblom A, Munishi L, Kariuki R, Shoemaker A, Lane P, Marchant R. 2025. Multiporate Poaceae pollen grains observed in the recent fossil record from the Greater Serengeti Ecosystem and Lake Victoria region. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 333: 105240. Data: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/JGZTIK
Outridge PM, Sanei H, Courtney Mustaphi CJ, Gajewski K. 2017. Holocene climate change influences on trace metal and organic matter geochemistry in the sediments of an Arctic lake over 7,000 years. Applied Geochemistry 78: 35–48.