Plastics in the marine environment are introduced through multiple pathways, and pose serious threats to aquatic biota. Recently microplastic pollution and its possible consequences in India have been recognized by the scientific community, however the extent of the crisis has not yet been quantified. The present study attempted to ascertain the abundance, distribution and characteristics of microplastics in coastal waters (14 locations), beach sediments (22 locations) and marine fishes (11 locations) from the state of Kerala, southwest coast of India. The results showed that the mean microplastic abundance was 1.25 ± 0.88 particles/m3 in coastal waters and 40.7 ± 33.2 particles/m2 in beach sediments with higher concentrations in the southern coast of the state. The abundance of microplastics, mostly contributed by fragments, fibre/line and foam, in both coastal waters and beach sediments, were highly influenced by river runoff and proximity to urban agglomeration. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR) revealed that polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were the dominant polymers in the marine environment. The digestive tracts of 15 out of 70 commercially important fishes studied, contained 22 microplastic particles. Polyethylene (PE; 38.46%) followed by cellulose (CE; 23.08%), rayon (RY; 15.38%), polyester (PL; 15.38%) and polypropylene (PP; 7.69%) were the major contributors in the fish ingested microplastic composition. A broad range of heavy metals, metalloids and other elements that are potentially indicative of hazardous chemicals were present in microplastics collected from the beaches of Kerala. These results enhance our understanding on the sources, transport pathways and the associated environmental risks of microplastics to marine ecosystems.
The current study examines the contamination of microplastics in three greenhouse types: abandoned, normal, and simple. The findings revealed that the abundance of microplastics was found to be the highest in the abandoned greenhouse, followed by the normal greenhouse and simple greenhouse. The mean abundance of microplastic organic fertilizer and irrigation water was also high.[…]
The study examines the distribution of residual film after eight years of film mulching in mid-April 2018. Results from the study revealed that eight years of mulching significantly increased the quantity of agricultural mulch film residues in the soil. The size of residual film fragments was found to vary from 0.25 cm2 to 109 cm2,[…]
A study in Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province, investigated microplastic pollution in different land uses, including facility farmland, traditional farmland, orchard, grassland, and woodland. Results showed a significant difference in microplastic abundance and characteristics between different land use types. Facility farmlands, traditional farmlands, and orchard lands had higher microplastic abundance than grasslands and woodlands. The main[…]
The study analysed 225 soil samples from maize planting zones in northern China, revealing that long-term plastic film mulching increases microplastic pollution in agricultural soils. The abundance of microplastics was significantly higher in mulched soils (754 ± 477 items kg-1) than in non-mulched soils (376 ± 149 items kg-1). The length of time with film[…]
The study examined the relative abundances and morphological distributions of microplastics (MPs) in water, sediments, and farmland soils in the Caohai Lake region. The estuary in the study area was considered a potential sink for MP transportation. Transparent and black MPs accounted for a large proportion of MPs in the five environments, with possible sources[…]