Microplastics in Desenzano Fish Spark Alarm Over Lake Garda Water Contamination
A University of Milan Department of Environmental Sciences study, published recently in Environmental Pollution, finds microplastics widespread in Lake Garda fish. Analyzing more than 150 specimens of European perch, whitefish, and bleak, researchers report microplastics in about 80% of samples, with an average of five to ten fragments per fish, attributing contamination mainly to plastic waste along the shores and to untreated municipal effluents entering the lake.
Desenzano municipal councillor Andrea Spiller says the findings indicate microplastics can migrate beyond the digestive system into muscle tissue, potentially entering the human food chain. He also highlighted 2025 sampling results from 25 discharge points along the Brescia coast, underscoring gaps in the sewer network and wastewater management.
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