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Distinguishing microplastics in sediment and surface water from the Ennore mangrove forest, Bay of Bengal, India
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Scientists found tiny plastic bits (microplastics) in the sand, water, and mangrove forests near industrial areas in Ennore, India, mostly tiny fibers and fragments from things like fishing nets and plastic packaging. The highest concentrations showed up near a power plant and industrial discharge sites, and some plastic pieces were even covered in bacteria, suggesting these pollutants can also carry microbes. This matters because mangroves are supposed to be natural filters that protect coastal ecosystems and seafood supplies, so heavy plastic buildup here could mean these pollutants, and whatever hitches
Mangrove forests are efficient traps for waterborne microplastics (MP) because of their dense root systems and low-energy tidal hydrodynamics, yet MP data from Indian mangroves remain concentrated in a few well-studied systems. This study characterised MP abundance, morphology and polymer composition in sediment and surface water from the Ennore mangrove forest and adjoining coast, Bay of Bengal, India, sampled across four stations in September 2021. Suspected particles were extracted by hydrogen-peroxide digestion and density separation, identified visually under stereomicroscopy, and confirmed using ATR-FTIR and SEM. MP concentration was significantly higher in coastal sediment (6.0–25.6 particles/kg, peaking near the Ennore Thermal Power Station and industrial discharge points) than in mangrove sediment (2.3–6.0 particles/kg), and was greater in mangrove surface water (7 ± 1 particles/L) than in Ennore Creek water (5 ± 2.6 particles/L) (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.0001). Fibres (53% in sediment, 71% in water) and fragments (39% in sediment) were the dominant shapes, with particle sizes concentrated between 0.5 and 2 mm. ATR-FTIR identified 13 polymer types, with polypropylene (21%) and polyethylene (19%) most abundant, consistent with fishing-gear and packaging-derived inputs. SEM revealed pitted, weathered MP surfaces colonised by bacteria, indicating advanced degradation and biofouling. These findings identify urban runoff, industrial discharge via the Buckingham Canal, untreated sewage and fishing activity as the principal MP sources at Ennore, and support targeted source control and long-term monitoring of Indian mangrove systems.
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