Pollution Research Paper

Vol 39, Issue 2, 2020; Page No.(352-354 )

POLLUTION BY MACRO- AND MICROPLASTIC OF LARGE LACUSTRINE ECOSYSTEMS IN EASTERN ASIA

DMITRY KARNAUKHOV, AND SOFIA BIRITSKAYA, EKATERINA DOLINSKAYA, MARIA TEPLYKH, NIKOLAI SILENKO, YANA ERMOLAEVA AND EUGENE SILOW

Abstract

Pollution of aquatic ecosystems by microplastic is an increasingly urgent problem. Despite significant interest from the scientific community, many large and unique water bodies remain under-investigated. In our study, we compared, on the one hand, the content of macroplastic of the lakes shore and on the other hand the content of the microplastic in the adjacent aquatic area nearby touristic villages situated on the shore of two large water bodies, Lake Baikal (Russia) and Lake Hovsgol (Mongolia). In both cases, we discovered that the microplastic particles were of secondary origin, and fragments and fibers were the predominant forms. The concentration of microplastic particles in the water opposite to the village on the lake Baikal shore was 4-times larger than the concentration of microplastic opposite to the village on the Lake Hovsgol shore. Mass tourism (not the aboriginal population) is likely the main driver of the water pollution by microplastic particles nearby villages with underdeveloped wastewater treatment facilities and idle systems of garbage collection and utilization.