Monitoring of microplastics in the Lake Lugano watershed (Switzerland and Italy), CIPAIS 2022-2024

The database includes datasets describing microplastic contamination in water and sediments of Lake Lugano watershed (including the lake and its rivers) and microplastic ingestion by benthic macroinvertebrates during the 2022-2024 period.

Lake Lugano is a peri-alpine lake located along the border between Switzerland (Canton Ticino) and Italy (Lombardy Region) at an altitude of 271 m.a.s.l. The lake is divided into North and South basins. 

LAKE LUGANO
North Basin
South Basin
Total

Catchment area [km2]
565.6
565.6
565.6

Perimeter [km]
42.4
54.5
96.9

Area [km2]
27.5
21.4
48.9

Volume [km3]
4.7
1.8
6.5

Average depth [m]
171
85
134

Max depth [m]
288
95
288

Theoretical average turnover rate [years]
11.9
2.3
8.2