Microplastic Contamination in Remote Mountain Lakes of the Americas

Surface water samples from 15 remote mountain lakes in Patagonia, Argentina and Northern California, USA, analyzed for microplastic pollution. The dataset includes MP concentrations, shapes, sizes, colors, and polymer compositions, with fibers being the predominant particle type. It was authored by María B. Alfonso and last updated in May 2026.

Use Cases

• Compare microplastic pollution levels between geographically distinct remote regions based on concentration data.
• Analyze the relationship between particle shape, size, and polymer type based on the described compositional breakdown.
• Investigate the influence of large-scale atmospheric transport versus local anthropogenic sources based on the described findings.
• Model microplastic distribution in remote freshwater systems based on watershed characteristics and proximity to urban areas mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Data covers 15 distinct sampling sites across two continents, providing a comparative baseline.
• Analysis includes detailed particle characteristics: concentration, shape, size, color, and 10 identified polymer types.
• Findings are supported by statistical tests comparing regions and relationships with environmental variables.

Limitations

• The dataset is small (469.2 KB DOCX file), suggesting limited raw data or a summary document.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for quantitative modeling.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Surface water samples collected by net trawling and analyzed by stereomicroscopy and Raman spectroscopy.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-13 22:01:27; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Patagonia region of Argentina and Northern California, United States