The concentration of microplastics (MPs) in two important Hungarian freshwater habitats
was determined in the size range of 50 μm–1 mm. Lake Balaton (LB) is the largest shallow
lake in Central Europe, with a significant role in recreation and tourism. Its main
inflow, the Zala River, enters the lake through an artificially constructed wetland,
the Kis-Balaton Water Protection System and its catchment area (KB), which helps preserve
the water quality of the lake. From these two areas, 15 samples were taken with an
in situ filtration sampling method. After preparation, the samples were analyzed automatically
by FT-IR microscopy. All samples, from both areas, contained MPs; the dominant microplastic
(MP) shape was the fragment, while the most frequently polymer types were polyethylene,
polypropylene and alkyd. Small MPs were dominant in both areas; around 90% of the
MPs were smaller than 500 μm. On average, LB contained more MPs (21.0 ± 12.5 MPs/m3)
compared to the KB, which presented an average concentration of MPs of 7.8 ± 5.9 MPs/m3.
In the examined areas, two potential MP sources were determined, i.e., treated wastewater
and road traffic. The importance of tourism should also be further investigated.
