Matter budget of microplastics in limnic ecosystems: sources, flow paths and sinks of microplastic particles in the model catchment area of Lake Tollense, Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania

目前的研究表明，河流和溪流是塑料进入海洋生态系统的重要输入途径。在这方面，排水系统充当物质输送的载体，而湖盆首先是具有不同时间相关性的储存库。与海洋系统相比，湖泊作为半封闭系统，由于其较小的尺寸和结构复杂性而受到青睐。因此，能够编制涵盖所有生态系统隔间的塑料材料预算，并对整个系统的投入、运输、储存、再动员和出口等基本过程进行评估。在此背景下，建议的项目旨在提供一个全面的物质预算，以确定和评估相关的影响因素和微塑料沿着相关排放系统的矢量运输。为了评估综合物质预算框架内的运输通量和储存成分，检测和分析了水体（近地表和水柱）、沉积物（岸线和湖床）、通过排放物横向流入和流出以及大气输入的微塑料浓度。在几个周期的采样周期之后，根据统计和地质统计程序对结果进行评估，并使用适当的生态系统模型在空间和时间上进行模拟。该项目的成果将对环境中塑料的来源、输入和输出、运输和储存的基本知识作出重要贡献。可以得出关于淡水中塑料进入海洋生态系统的基本结论，从而可以确定未来潜在监测计划的相关先决条件。MICROLIM的研究概念具有很高的创新潜力，将是全球第一个对生态系统进行微塑料全面预算的方法。微塑料颗粒在生态系统中的变化行为对研究方法和方法范围提出了重大挑战。因此，它需要一个高水平的多学科，这是地理研究的独特能力。

Current studies demonstrated that rivers and streams are important input pathways for plastics into the marine ecosystems. In this connection, discharging systems act as vectors for matter transport whereas limnic basins above all are storing reservoirs of varying temporal relevance. In contrast to marine systems, the investigation of lakes, being semi-enclosed systems, is favored due to smaller dimensions and structural complexity. Therefore, the budgeting of plastic material covering all ecosystem compartments and the evaluation of fundamental processes such as input, transport, storing, remobilization and export throughout the system is enabled. Within this context, the suggested project aims to provide a comprehensive matter budget, to identify and evaluate relevant influencing factors and the vector transport of microplastics along associated discharging systems.In order to assess transport fluxes and storage components in the framework of a comprehensive matter budget the concentrations of microplastics within the water body (near-surface and water column), sediments (shoreline and lake bed), lateral in- and outflows via discharges and atmospheric inputs are detected and analyzed. Following several periodic sampling periods the results are evaluated based on statistical as well as geostatistical procedures and are simulated with adequate ecosystem models spatially and temporally. The results of the project will provide an important contribution on basic knowledge about origins, in- and outputs, transport and storage of plastics in the environment. Basic conclusions about plastic inputs from freshwaters into marine ecosystems can be achieved and thus, relevant prerequisites concerning potential future monitoring programs can be identified. The research concept of MICROLIM is of high innovation potential and will be the first total microplastic budget approach of a limnic ecosystem, worldwide. The variable behavior of microplastic particles in ecosystems poses a major challenge concerning the research approach and the methodical scope. Thus, it requires a high level of multidisciplinarity, which is of distinctive competency in geographical research.