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Subterranean estuaries: An overlooked pathway for microplastic transport to our oceans
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Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in the subterranean estuary of Malpe in southwestern India and quantified the flux of microplastics entering the Arabian Sea via submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), finding a mean concentration of 7.56 MPs/L and identifying SGD as a previously overlooked but significant transport pathway to marine environments.
Microplastics (MPs) infiltrate marine environments through various pathways such as winds, rivers, and surface runoff. However, the role of subterranean estuaries as conduits for microplastics into our oceans remains poorly understood despite advances in microplastic monitoring. This study investigates microplastic contamination in the subterranean estuary of Malpe in southwestern India and quantifies the flux of microplastics entering the Arabian Sea through submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). The results reveal a mean (± standard deviation) microplastic concentration of 7.56 (±6.45) MPs/l within the subterranean estuary. The primary factor influencing the MP flux of microplastics in the subterranean groundwater discharge site is the seepage rate. The shape of the MPs recorded were mostly fibrous, which are sized between 1000-5000 µm. Polyethylene fibres specifically associated with local fishing activities was found to be the major contributor (96.82 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559056/document
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Subterranean estuaries: An overlooked pathway for microplastic transport to our oceans
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers quantified microplastic concentrations in the subterranean estuary of Malpe, India, and calculated the flux entering the Arabian Sea through submarine groundwater discharge, finding a mean concentration of 7.56 MPs/L and demonstrating that subterranean estuaries represent a significant but overlooked microplastic transport pathway.
Microplastic flux through submarine groundwater discharge in a subterranean estuary of Southwest India
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Researchers investigated submarine groundwater discharge as a transport pathway for microplastics in a subterranean estuary on the southwest coast of India, finding that this understudied coastal process contributes measurably to marine MP inputs alongside rivers and surface runoff.
Microplastic flux through submarine groundwater discharge in a subterranean estuary of Southwest India
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Researchers investigated submarine groundwater discharge as a transport pathway for microplastics in a subterranean estuary on the southwest coast of India, finding that this understudied coastal process contributes measurably to marine MP inputs alongside rivers and surface runoff.
Microplastic flux through submarine groundwater discharge in a subterranean estuary of Southwest India
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Researchers quantified microplastic flux through submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in a subterranean estuary on the southwest coast of India, identifying this previously overlooked pathway as a conduit for microplastic transport to the marine environment. The study found that SGD delivers substantial quantities of microplastics to coastal waters, with fluxes influenced by tidal dynamics and the mixing of terrestrial groundwater with saline porewater.
Submarine groundwater discharge of microplastics in the transitional environment of southwest India
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Submarine groundwater discharge — the flow of groundwater directly into the sea — was identified as a pathway for microplastics to enter the ocean in coastal southwest India. This previously overlooked transport route could be carrying significant quantities of microplastics from land-based sources into near-shore marine environments. The discovery opens a new area of research into how groundwater movement contributes to ocean microplastic pollution.
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