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This paper synthesizes recent research conducted within the framework of the Human–Environment Observatory (OHM) Pyrenees Haut-Vicdessos, focusing on long-term environmental contamination in this Pyrenean mountain territory. Drawing on studies in biogeochemistry, paleoecology, and atmospheric sciences, it contrasts two persistent pollutants with distinct temporal trajectories: lead and atmospheric microplastics. Lead represents a legacy contaminant linked to centuries of mining and industrial activity, whereas microplastics, whose accumulation has sharply increased since the 1950s, exemplify an emerging and globally distributed form of pollution reaching even remote mountain environments. Together, these investigations illustrate how past and present human activities leave lasting chemical imprints in high-altitude ecosystems. They also open new questions about the persistence, mobility, and ecological consequences of emerging pollutants, underscoring the need for integrated monitoring and risk-assessment strategies in mountain environments.
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Roux et al. (2025) studied this question.
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