Researchers found levels of plastics in Lake Garda similar to those in marine environments 'Microplastic' threat to shores Pollution with plastic waste is not confined to the oceans but poses a growing threat to lakes as well. That is the view of researchers who found significant concentrations of the substance in Italy's Lake Garda. They say the levels are similar to those found in samples taken from marine beach sediments. They are concerned that these tiny plastic particles are accumulating in freshwater species and are "likely" to get into the food chain. The research is published in the journal, Current Biology. The problem of large amounts of plastic polluting the world's oceans has been well documented in recent years. As well as bigger pieces that can choke sea creatures when ingested, there is an equally serious issue with very small fragments called micro-plastics. But research on the problems caused by plastic in lakes has been lacking. This new study looked at Lake Garda, a large, sub-alpine body of water. The researchers found significant concentrations of plastic in sediment samples. On the north shore they found around 1,000 larger particles per square metre and 450 micro-plastic particles in the same area. "We were surprised," lead author Prof Christian Laforsch from the University of Bayreuth told BBC News.

Oil sands' toxins accumulate in freshwater ecosystems

Toxic pollutants released by oil

Should the location of newly discovered species be hidden?

Discovering a new species can be the defining moment of a biologist's career, but for some it can also mean exposing rare and vulnerable animals to the dark world of the wildlife pet trade, with catastrophic results. It's a scientific dilemma that has led some conservationists to question whether it would be better to hide their findings from the world. In 1999, herpetologist Bryan Stuart was working in Northern Laos when he stumbled across an eye-catching newt he had never seen before. The creature was prehistoric in its appearance with thick, warty skin and bright, yellow dots all the way down its back. He spotted it in a bottle of alcohol that a Lao colleague had brought back from a wedding in a remote part of the country - the poison from the newt's skin had been used to make a drink with special medicinal properties for a toast to the newlyweds. Stuart went in search of the newt in the wild and three years later he published an article in the Journal of Herpetology, announcing the discovery of the new species, Laotriton laoensis.