Microplastics (MPs) contaminations of freshwater and marine environments has become a global issue. Lakes in southern Siberia provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are essential elements in the annual and interannual runoff distribution of the Great Siberian Rivers. However, the extent of their MPs pollution remains unknown. In this paper, for the first time, we analyze the concentrations, composition, and spatial distribution of MPs in six lakes in southern Siberia. The studied lakes are located both in the Altai mountains and the West Siberian plain. Some of them are significantly impacted by human activities, while others are located in protected areas with no permanent population. Nevertheless, MPs were detected in all of the studied lakes. MPs concentrations ranged from 4 to 26 MPs L⁻¹. Comparing with other inland lakes, South Siberian lakes presented moderate MPs concentrations. Among the registered MPs forms, fragments and films were dominant, with a size range between 31 and 60 nm. The MPs’ sources depend on local human activities (fishing, transport, landfilling). Therefore, sufficiently high concentrations were observed even in remote lakes. The present study set a baseline that emphasizes the need for increased attention to waste management and sustainable water use in Siberian freshwater environments.

This article presents the results of a study of the spatial distribution of microplastic (MP) pollution of urban snow cover conducted on the territory of the Barnaul urban agglomeration. The algorithm of the study involves the following sequential steps: snow sampling, the identification of MP particles, a calculation of the total particle abundance in the sample, and a concentration assessment. In total, 49 snow samples from various parts of the city were taken for the study in the first decade of March 2021. They were stored in 3-L glass containers. MP particles were detected using a scanning electron microscope. MPs are found in all snow samples in concentrations from 27 to 595 items/L, with an average concentration of 125 items/L. The city of Barnaul is located on three natural landscapes: uvals of the Ob Plateau, a dell formed by an ancient river runoff with a ribbon forest, and the Ob Valley. The maximum amount of MP particles is found in the snow cover of the Ob Plateau and the minimum is in the Ob Valley. The next stage involved assessing the level of MP pollution of the city across six functional zones. Assessment results show that the maximum average concentration of MP particles in Barnaul during the winter period is typical for urban green spaces (parks and squares) in all districts of the city. The possible reasons for that are the continuous accumulation of snow in such areas throughout the entire cold weather period and the so-called “comb-out” effect associated with the ability of plants to filter particles of dry atmospheric deposition. The snow cover of Barnaul is found to contain MP particles of all five main shapes: granule, foam, fragment, film, and fiber.

Plastics production is growing all over the world, but the total emission of microplastics is unfortunately not reducing. In the external environment, plastics degrade over time. This leads to the appearance of smaller particles or fibers which are microplastics at sizes of less than 5 mm. Atmospheric transfer is for microplastics one of the main ways of entering the environment. The purpose of this study is to identify microplastics in the snow cover of the south of Western Siberia, as well as preliminarily assess the possible sources of their supply. Snow samples are taken during a period of maximum snow accumulation (March, 2020) according to requirements developed by the Norwegian Institute for Air Research. The microparticles are visually evaluated using a digital microscope, Dino-Lite AM211, a fluorescent dye solution, and a Wood lamp. To assess the possible atmospheric distribution and deposition of the particles, an analysis of the synoptic conditions based on data of NCEP/NCAR, ERA5, and HYSPLIT is performed. The microscopic analysis has shown that microplastics (namely, films, fibers, and granules) have been detected in 16 of the 18 snow samples in the city of Barnaul and adjacent territories, as well as fibers and granules have been revealed in 3 snow samples from the Kasmala River basin.

Изотопный состав зимних атмосферных осадков и снежного покрова в предгорьях Алтая

The stable water isotopes in snow (primarily ¹⁸O and ²H) are widely used for tracing hydrological and ecological processes. However, isotopic signatures of snow can be significantly modified by topography and land cover. This study assesses spatial and temporal variability of the bulk snowpack isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O, δ²H, d-excess) between forested (pine and birch) and open areas in the West Siberian forest steppes. Isotopic samples were collected over the peak snow accumulation in 2017–2019. The snow isotopic composition within forested areas differed from open steppes, mainly in reducing d-excess (1.6‰ on average). We did not find a significant effect of canopy interception on snow enrichment in heavier isotopes. Snowpack in the pine forests was even lighter by 3.6‰ for δ²H compared to open areas, probably, due to low energy inputs and interception capacity. Additionally, snow depth significantly influenced the isotopic composition spatial variability. As snow depth increased, δ¹⁸O and δ²H values decreased due to conservation within the snowpack and less influence of sublimation and moisture exchange with the soil. However, this pattern was only evident in winters with below-average snow depth. Therefore, taking into account snow depth spatial and seasonal variability is advisable when applying the isotopic methods.