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A Critical Review on the Characterization and Distribution of Microplastic Contaminants in Indian Water Environments: Pathways and Related Hazards
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This systematic review examines microplastic contamination in India's freshwater environments, including rivers and lakes. While marine ecosystems have gotten the most attention, freshwater sources — which supply drinking water — are also heavily contaminated. The findings highlight how inadequate waste management and recycling infrastructure allow microplastics to spread through the water systems that communities depend on.
Microplastics (<5 mm) have become a pervasive environmental pollutant, contaminating marine and terrestrial ecosystems globally. Their persistence, low recycling rates, inadequate waste management, and extensive use in maritime activities facilitate widespread distribution. Microplastics are found in various media, including biota, water, soil, air, and human consumables. India’s growing plastic production and inadequate recycling infrastructure have intensified microplastic research over the past two decades. This study undertakes a systematic review of the extant literature on microplastics (MPs) in India’s freshwater ecosystems, with a focus on lacustrine and riverine environments. A comprehensive bibliographic search was performed utilizing multiple databases, including ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. Our finding reveals that marine ecosystems have received significant attention, other compartments (freshwater, terrestrial environments, and human consumables) remain understudied. Running streams facilitate microplastic transport across ecosystems, exacerbating their ubiquity. Moreover, this review synthesizes existing literatures on microplastic distribution, characteristics, fragmentation, and pathways of microplastics in Indian aquatic environments. Therefore, to better understand the microplastic issue, we propose broadening research to encompass uninvestigated Indian aquatic environments, particularly pristine areas, and exploring all aspects of microplastic pollution, along with this, this review highlights critical research gaps and recommends sustainable management strategies for mitigating microplastic pollution.
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This review examines the occurrence, sources, and ecological risks of microplastics across freshwater ecosystems in India, synthesizing current literature on contamination levels in rivers, lakes, and other inland water bodies.
Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems of India: Current Trends and Future Perspectives
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The study provides a comprehensive review of microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems across India, including lakes and rivers. Researchers found that microplastic research in Indian freshwater environments has grown significantly but remains limited compared to marine studies, highlighting the need for expanded monitoring given India's increasing plastic production and low recycling rates.
Microplastics in Indian Freshwater Systems: Current Status and Future Research Needs
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This review paper pulls together existing research on tiny plastic particles (microplastics) found in India's rivers and lakes, highlighting how widespread they've become in freshwater systems that many people rely on for drinking water and fishing. The authors point out that scientists still don't fully understand how much of these plastics end up in our food and water, or what health risks they might pose—meaning more research is urgently needed to answer these open questions. Since freshwater is a direct pathway for microplastics to enter our bodies, understanding this contamination matters for anyone drinking tap water or eating fish from affected areas.
Microplastics as a contaminant in Indian riverine system: a review
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This systematic review examines microplastic contamination across India's river systems, documenting the types, sources, and concentrations of plastic particles found in major waterways. The findings are concerning for human health because these rivers provide drinking water and irrigation for hundreds of millions of people, creating widespread potential exposure to microplastics.
Delving Deep into the Microplastics Crisis in the Indian Aquatic Environment
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This review synthesized research on microplastic contamination in India's aquatic environments—rivers, lakes, and coastal waters—covering sources, distribution, ecological impacts, and human exposure risks. The authors found microplastics widespread in Indian water bodies and highlighted the particular vulnerability of rural communities that rely on these waters for drinking and food.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.