# Microplastic pollution in Switzerland > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/microplastic-pollution-in-switzerland > Updated: 2026-09-20T23:10:00.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. Recent scientific studies in Switzerland have highlighted significant levels of microplastic pollution across different environmental mediums. Research from the University of Lausanne and EPFL regarding Lake Geneva found that microplastic concentrations may be up to 656 times higher than previous estimates. This discrepancy is attributed to new analytical methods capable of detecting particles smaller than 20 microns, which constitute up to 97% of the measured pollution. Scientists noted that these tiny fragments could potentially cause “concerning effects on aquatic life.” In a separate systematic study, researchers from Empa, Eawag, and Agroscope determined that approximately 219 tons of microplastics are deposited annually via the atmosphere on Swiss areas below 2,000 meters. This atmospheric deposition includes roughly 78 tons landing on agricultural soils and 10 tons entering lakes and rivers. The study identified regional variations, with Zurich recording significantly higher particle concentrations than other locations, likely due to dense population and traffic. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-20: Microplastics in Switzerland: 219 tons deposited annually via atmosphere A new study shows that atmospheric deposition contributes 219 tons of microplastics to Swiss soils and waters annually, with high concentrations found in urban areas like Zurich. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/microplastics-in-switzerland-219-tons-deposited-annually-via-atmosphere ### 2026-09-09: Lake Geneva microplastic pollution found to be 650 times higher than estimated A study by UNIL and EPFL reveals microplastic pollution in Lake Geneva may be 650 times higher than previously thought, with tiny particles making up 97% of the total pollution. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lake-geneva-microplastic-pollution-found-to-be-650-times-higher-than-estimated --- Cite as: Microplastic pollution in Switzerland. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/microplastic-pollution-in-switzerland