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Microplastic Contamination of the Aquatic Environment in the Indian Scenario: A Review
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Researchers reviewed microplastic distribution and ecological risk across India's aquatic environments, finding polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET as the dominant polymers in water, sediment, and fish — including edible species — with contamination detected even in remote Himalayan locations.
The increasing population in India is becoming a significant environmental concern as it leads to an intensified plastic waste generation which increasingly contributed to the marine litter. The pervasive presence of Microplastics (MPs) in aquatic ecosystems poses considerable ecological risks to aquatic organisms. The scientific community has focused on MPs and their associated ecological implications for the past few decades. This review evaluates the MPs distribution and its impact on the aquatic environment of India. The main focus is dedicated to the distribution of MPs in water, sediment, and biota and accounts for the polymers found, their abundance, and their likely potential ecological risks. It is concerning to note that MPs have even been detected in edible ichthyofauna, and from remote geographical locations such as Northwest Himalaya emphasizing the gravity of this issue. Most of the MPs studies of biota focus on fish and clams due to their contamination possibilities and their role in the food web. The majority of previous reports centered around MPs in water and sedimentary environments, with very little focus on the related biota. It is reported that polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are the polymers with the highest distributions in aquatic systems in India. An ecological risk assessment was also performed to evaluate MPs toxicity in different environmental matrices. Health risk assessments were performed based on the reported values to estimate the daily intake of MPs in humans of various ages and sex. The prevalence of MPs in aquatic environments is attributed to their peculiar thermal stability, lightweight properties, and ease of storage, which contributes to their potential for long-term persistence. The current review emphasizes the need for consistent reporting units, further research on trophic transfer, and collaborative monitoring efforts to accurately measure the harmful effects of MPs on biota.
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