Microplastic Footprints in Mountain Ecosystems: A Review of Current Evidence and Scientific Gaps

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 1, 46 - 56, 30.06.2025

Hamide Sena Kanat Hülya Aykaç Özen

Öz

Microplastic pollution has emerged as a pervasive environmental issue, with increasing evidence revealing its presence beyond urban and marine environments, extending into remote mountain ecosystems. This review synthesizes current research on the occurrence, sources, and distribution of microplastics in mountain regions worldwide. Studies demonstrate that microplastics are transported to high-altitude environments primarily through atmospheric deposition, tourism activities, and adjacent human settlements. Despite growing awareness, data on spatial and temporal variability of microplastic contamination in mountainous areas remain limited. Moreover, the ecological impacts of microplastics on mountain biota and ecosystem processes are poorly understood. Methodological inconsistencies across studies further complicate comprehensive assessments. This paper highlights critical scientific gaps and underscores the need for standardized protocols, long-term monitoring, and interdisciplinary approaches to better elucidate the extent and consequences of microplastic pollution in mountain ecosystems. Addressing these gaps is essential for informing conservation strategies and mitigating plastic pollution in these vulnerable environments

Anahtar Kelimeler

mountain , atmosphere , ecosystem , pollution , Microplastic

Dağ Ekosistemlerinde Mikroplastik Ayak İzleri: Mevcut Kanıtlar ve Bilimsel Boşluklar Üzerine Bir İnceleme

Öz

Mikroplastik kirliliği yaygın bir çevre sorunu olarak ortaya çıkmıştır ve artan kanıtlar, kentsel ve deniz ortamlarının ötesinde, uzak dağ ekosistemlerine kadar uzanan varlığını ortaya koymaktadır. Bu derleme, dünya çapında dağlık bölgelerde mikroplastiklerin oluşumu, kaynakları ve dağılımına ilişkin mevcut araştırmaları sentezlemektedir. Çalışmalar, mikroplastiklerin yüksek rakımlı ortamlara öncelikle atmosferik birikim, turizm faaliyetleri ve komşu insan yerleşimleri yoluyla taşındığını göstermektedir. Artan farkındalığa rağmen, dağlık alanlardaki mikroplastik kirliliğinin mekansal ve zamansal değişkenliğine ilişkin veriler sınırlı kalmaktadır. Ayrıca, mikroplastiklerin dağ biyotası ve ekosistem süreçleri üzerindeki ekolojik etkileri yeterince anlaşılamamıştır. Çalışmalar arasındaki metodolojik tutarsızlıklar, kapsamlı değerlendirmeleri daha da karmaşık hale getirmektedir. Bu makale, kritik bilimsel boşlukları vurgulamakta ve dağ ekosistemlerindeki mikroplastik kirliliğinin kapsamını ve sonuçlarını daha iyi aydınlatmak için standartlaştırılmış protokollere, uzun vadeli izlemeye ve disiplinler arası yaklaşımlara duyulan ihtiyacın altını çizmektedir. Bu eksikliklerin giderilmesi, koruma stratejilerinin bilgilendirilmesi ve bu hassas ortamlarda plastik kirliliğinin azaltılması için elzemdir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Mikroplastik , dağ , atmosfer , ekosistem , kirlilik

Kaynakça

• PlasticsEurope, “Plastics – the Facts 2021: An analysis of European plastics production, demand and waste data”, 2021.
• J. P. Frias ve R. Nash, “Microplastics: Finding a consensus on the definition”, Marine pollution bulletin, vol. 138, pp. 145-147, 2019.
• M. Bergmann, S. Mützel, S. Primpke, M. B. Tekman, J. Trachsel, ve G. Gerdts, “White and wonderful? Microplastics prevail in snow from the Alps to the Arctic”, Science advances, vol. 5, no. 8, pp. eaax1157, 2019.
• J. Brahney, M. Hallerud, E. Heim, M. Hahnenberger, ve S. Sukumaran, “Plastic rain in protected areas of the United States”, Science, vol. 368, no. 6496, pp. 1257-1260, 2020.
• FAO, “Mountain forests in a changing world: Realizing values, addressing challenges.”, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011.
• D. Viviroli, H. H. Dürr, B. Messerli, M. Meybeck, ve R. Weingartner, “Mountains of the world, water towers for humanity: Typology, mapping, and global significance”, Water resources research, vol. 43, no 7, 2007.
• S. Padha, R. Kumar, A. Dhar, ve P. Sharma, “Microplastic pollution in mountain terrains and foothills: A review on source, extraction, and distribution of microplastics in remote areas”, Environmental Research, vol. 207, no. 112232, 2022.
• S. Allen vd., “Atmospheric transport and deposition of microplastics in a remote mountain catchment”, Nature geoscience, vol. 12, no 5, pp. 339-344, 2019.
• Y. Zhang, S. Kang, S. Allen, D. Allen, T. Gao, ve M. Sillanpää, “Atmospheric microplastics: A review on current status and perspectives”, Earth-Science Reviews, vol. 203, no. 103118, 2020.
• A. A. Koelmans, M. Kooi, K. L. Law, ve E. Van Sebille, “All is not lost: deriving a top-down mass budget of plastic at sea”, Environmental Research Letters, vol. 12, no. 11, pp. 114028, 2017.
• A. L. Andrady, “Microplastics in the marine environment”, Marine pollution bulletin, vol. 62, no 8, pp. 1596-1605, 2011.
• J. Lasota, E. Błońska, W. Piaszczyk, ve S. Tabor, “Microplastic on Mountain Trails—a Case Study from the Carpathian and Sudetes Mountains in Poland”, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, vol. 234, no 9, pp. 612, 2023.
• R. Dris vd., “A first overview of textile fibers, including microplastics, in indoor and outdoor environments”, Environmental pollution, vol. 221, pp 453-458, 2017.
• S. Wagner, T. Hüffer, P. Klöckner, M. Wehrhahn, T. Hofmann, ve T. Reemtsma, “Tire wear particles in the aquatic environment-a review on generation, analysis, occurrence, fate and effects”, Water research, vol. 139, pp. 83-100, 2018.
• M. N. Miranda, A. M. Silva, ve M. F. R. Pereira, “Microplastics in the environment: A DPSIR analysis with focus on the responses”, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 718, no. 134968, 2020.
• F. De Falco vd., “Evaluation of microplastic release caused by textile washing processes of synthetic fabrics”, Environmental Pollution, vol. 236, pp. 916-925, 2018.
• M. Mehboob, R. Dris, B. Tassin, J. Gasperi, M. U. Khan, ve R. N. Malik, “Microplastic assessment in remote and high mountain lakes of Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan”, Chemosphere, vol. 365, no. 143283, 2024.
• P. Kiełtyk vd., “Sources Affecting Microplastic Contamination in Mountain Lakes in Tatra National Park”, Resources, vol. 13, no 11, pp. 152, 2024.
• C. Villanova-Solano, C. Hernández-Sánchez, F. J. Díaz-Peña, J. González-Sálamo, M. González-Pleiter, ve J. Hernández-Borges, “Microplastics in snow of a high mountain national park: El Teide, Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain)”, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 873, no. 162276, 2023.
• Y. Zhang vd., “Current status and future perspectives of microplastic pollution in typical cryospheric regions”, Earth-Science Reviews, vol. 226, no. 103924, 2022.
• R. Ambrosini, R. S. Azzoni, F. Pittino, G. Diolaiuti, A. Franzetti, ve M. Parolini, “First evidence of microplastic contamination in the supraglacial debris of an alpine glacier”, Environmental pollution, vol. 253, pp. 297-301, 2019.
• S. Montecinos, S. Tognana, M. Pereyra, L. Silva, ve J. P. Tomba, “Study of a stream in Argentina with a high concentration of microplastics: preliminary analysis of the methodology”, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 760, no. 143390, 2021.
• Q. Liu vd., “Homogenization of microplastics in alpine rivers: Analysis of microplastic abundance and characteristics in rivers of Qilian Mountain, China”, Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 340, no. 118011, 2023.
• A. de J. Negrete Velasco vd., “Microplastic and fibre contamination in a remote mountain lake in Switzerland”, Water, vol. 12, no 9, pp. 2410, 2020.
• P. Pastorino vd., “First insights into plastic and microplastic occurrence in biotic and abiotic compartments, and snow from a high-mountain lake (Carnic Alps)”, Chemosphere, vol. 265, no. 129121, 2021.
• Y. Jain vd., “Microplastic pollution in high-altitude Nainital lake, Uttarakhand, India”, Environmental Pollution, vol. 346, no. 123598, 2024.
• M. Cabrera vd., “A new method for microplastic sampling and isolation in mountain glaciers: A case study of one antisana glacier, Ecuadorian Andes”, Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, vol. 2, pp. 100051, 2020.
• J. Gasperi vd., “Microplastics in air: are we breathing it in?”, Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, vol. 1, pp. 1-5, 2018.
• A. A. Horton, A. Walton, D. J. Spurgeon, E. Lahive, ve C. Svendsen, “Microplastics in freshwater and terrestrial environments: Evaluating the current understanding to identify the knowledge gaps and future research priorities”, Science of the total environment, vol. 586, pp. 127-141, 2017.
• G. T. Gimiliani ve G. Izar, “Difficulties in comparison among different microplastic studies: the inconsistency of results and lack of guide values”, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol. 41, no 4, pp. 820-821, 2022.
• C. M. Free, O. P. Jensen, S. A. Mason, M. Eriksen, N. J. Williamson, ve B. Boldgiv, “High-levels of microplastic pollution in a large, remote, mountain lake”, Marine pollution bulletin, vol. 85, no 1, pp. 156-163, 2014.
• M. C. Rillig ve A. Lehmann, “Microplastic in terrestrial ecosystems”, Science, vol. 368, no 6498, pp. 1430-1431, 2020.
• N. B. Hartmann vd., “Are we speaking the same language? Recommendations for a definition and categorization framework for plastic debris”, 2019.
• S. L. Wright, R. C. Thompson, ve T. S. Galloway, “The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: a review”, Environmental pollution, vol. 178, pp. 483-492, 2013.