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Ecological risk assessment and characterization of microplastics in the beach sediments of southeast coast of India
Summary
Surveys along India's southeast coast found hundreds of microplastic particles per kilogram of beach sediment, with fibers being the most common shape and polystyrene among the dominant polymer types. Ecological risk indices suggest the pollution is at low-to-medium levels currently, but the study underscores the need for targeted waste reduction strategies to protect coastal biodiversity in one of the world's most densely populated shorelines.
This study explores spatiotemporal variations of microplastics (MPs) in beach sediments along India's southeast coast, focusing on Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from 2020 to 2021. The MPs were extracted from the sediments through density separation and wet peroxidation. Following extraction, they were quantified and physically characterized using stereo-microscopy and chemically analyzed using ATR-FTIR. During the monsoon, Chennai (923 ± 380 MPs/kg) exhibited the highest MP abundance, followed by Puducherry (805 ± 222 MPs/kg), Nagapattinam (799 ± 257 MPs/kg), Thoothukudi (653 ± 258 MPs/kg), Rameswaram (585 ± 151 MPs/kg), and Kanyakumari (344 ± 71 MPs/kg). Similarly, in summer, Chennai (719 ± 192 MPs/kg) recorded the highest mean, trailed by Puducherry (645 ± 163 MPs/kg), Rameswaram (529 ± 138 MPs/kg), Nagapattinam (523 ± 95 MPs/kg), Thoothukudi (492 ± 104 MPs/kg), and Kanyakumari (335 ± 72 MPs/kg). Fibers predominated as the most common MP type. FTIR revealed polymers like polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, and polyamide. The Polymer Hazard Index indicated high polymer pollution risk, while the Pollution Load Index showed minimal contamination. The Potential Ecological Risk Index revealed low-to-medium MP pollution levels. Tailored strategies addressing plastic usage reduction and mitigation of terrestrial MP sources are imperative for coastal ecosystem resilience.