Anthropogenic interventions amplify microplastics accumulation: a comparative analysis of artificial vs. natural...

The intensification of anthropogenic activities and artificial development has potentially exacerbated the accumulation and dispersion of microplastic contaminants in lacustrine ecosystems. Analytical results revealed significant spatiotemporal variations in microplastic abundance across the studied regions: hospital and restaurant regions (HRR) exhibited concentrations ranging from 5.73 ± 0.81 to 13.57 ± 7.95 items/L, play and entertainment regions (PER) showed higher levels (8.2 ± 1.06-19.73 ± 3.73 items/L), while primitive arboretum region lake (PAR) maintained comparatively lower values (2.93 ± 1.3-11.4 ± 1.8 items/L). Morphologically, the microplastics were mainly fibers, some were fragments and films, and a small amount were pellets. In terms of physical characteristics, blue was the dominant color, and the most frequent particle size was mainly 0-1 mm. Notably, microplastic concentrations displayed marked seasonal fluctuations across all sites, with levels in anthropogenic zones (HRR and PER) being 0.82-5.29 times higher than natural arboretum environments (PAR). These findings underscore the critical role of artificial lakes as potential microplastic accumulation hotspots, highlighting the necessity for differentiated management strategies between artificial and natural lacustrine systems.