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Sources and impacts of microplastic on the world’s longest sea beach of the Bay of Bengal coasts: a review on microplastic management
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This review summarizes microplastic pollution along the Bay of Bengal, the world's longest sea beach, covering sources, distribution, and impacts on the coastal ecosystem. Microplastics in this region come from fishing, tourism, shipping, and urban runoff, and they threaten both marine life and the communities that depend on sea products. The authors call for stronger policies and more long-term research to protect this important ecosystem and reduce human exposure through seafood.
The toxic impact of microplastics (MPs) in the terrestrial and aquatic environment has recently become a global problem. The Bay of Bengal coasts is an important bio-diverse ecosystem, which help the people for their sound living and gather natural resources. However, the distribution, impact, source and transport mechanism, and policy to take initiatives for MPs pollution control at the Bay of Bengal coasts' have received less attention. Therefore, this review summarizes MPs' distribution and their source in the Bay of Bengal coasts' ecosystems. Current knowledge extends the impacts of MP on this vital ecosystem, existing policy, and further recommendations to mitigate MPs contamination are critically assessed in this study. Furthermore, mechanisms of MP on human health are also highlighted with the identification of current research gaps and future study suggestions. Given the escalating plastic usage and the prevalence of important sea products globally, there is a pressing need to prioritize research efforts on the impacts of MPs on the Bay of Bengal coasts from a long-term perspective. Knowledge obtained in this way would inform the scientists, stakeholders, and policy makers in such a way as to help them mitigate impacts of the micro- and nano-plastic legacy at this region.
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Microplastic pollution in coastal Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh: Quantification, distribution, and characteristics
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This study surveyed microplastic pollution along the Cox's Bazar coastline in Bangladesh, one of the world's longest beaches, finding significant contamination in both sediments and seawater with levels varying by tidal zone and beach location. Polyethylene was the most common polymer type, and scanning electron microscopy revealed weathered particle surfaces indicating long-term environmental exposure. The findings establish a baseline for microplastic monitoring in a heavily visited coastal region with limited waste management infrastructure.
Microplastics pollution in Indian marine environment: sources, effects and solutions
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This review provides a comprehensive look at microplastic pollution in India's marine environment, covering sources, transport, effects on marine life, and potential solutions. Microplastics are being ingested by organisms at every level of the food chain, causing inflammation, hormonal disruption, and reproductive problems that eventually affect humans through seafood. The authors call for stronger policies, better waste management, and public awareness to address this growing threat to both marine ecosystems and human health.
Micro-plastic pollution along the Bay of Bengal coastal stretch of Tamil Nadu, South India
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Researchers quantified microplastic particles in water column, wet sediment, and dry sand samples from Marina Beach, Chennai, India — one of the world longest urban beaches — using optical microscopy. Fibrous microplastics were dominant across all matrices (52-79%), with concentrations indicating significant pollution along this heavily urbanised coastline.
Microplastics in Indian Coastal Ecosystems: Sources, Distribution, and Ecological Impact
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This review pulls together a decade of research on tiny plastic particles polluting India's 7,500 km coastline, finding that microplastics are widespread in beaches, water, and sea life, with pollution levels tracking closely with nearby cities, rivers, and fishing activity. Since fish and shellfish are shown to ingest these particles, this raises real concerns for the seafood many coastal communities depend on for food and income. The paper doesn't test new samples itself, but instead synthesizes existing science to highlight where research and policy need to focus next.
Abundance, Types, and Polymer Composition of Microplastics Present in a Coastal Region of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
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This study provided the first quantification and polymer characterization of microplastics in seawater and beach sediments at Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh—the world's longest sea beach—across three sampling locations. Microplastic abundance was moderate at 369 items/kg in sediment and 210 items/m³ in seawater, with polyethylene (41%) and PVC (29%) the dominant polymers and colorful particles comprising 57% of the total. The findings establish a baseline contamination dataset for this high-traffic coastal site and raise concerns about regional marine pollution inputs to the Bay of Bengal.
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