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Spatiotemporal microplastic occurrence study of Harike wetland, A Ramsar wetland of India
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Researchers conducted a spatiotemporal study of microplastic contamination in Harike wetland, India's largest Ramsar wetland, examining water, canal sediment, and gut contents of Cyprinus carpio fish using ATR-FTIR and GC-MS. They found HDPE and nylon as the dominant polymer types, seasonal variation with higher concentrations in winter, and a 7% microplastic recovery rate from fish gut contents, highlighting contamination in this internationally protected ecosystem.
Ramsar wetlands are one of the least investigated areas for microplastic contamination. Harike wetland is located downstream of the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej rivers. Rivers are nature's drainage systems, which collect waste from everywhere and move ahead. On the same note, the Harike wetland, the largest wetland in North India, is an ideal home for migratory birds and aquatic animals. The water in the canal and the fish living within it have been examined for microplastics. Results revealed that the number of microplastics did not significantly differ between sites 1 and 2, but showed a seasonal variation with higher levels observed in the winter season compared to summer and the rainy season. The most common types of plastics detected in the wetland and canal were HDPE and nylon, which were further analyzed using conformational tests, ATR-FTIR, and GC-MS techniques. Additionally, microplastics measuring less than 5mm in size were recovered from the gut of Cyprinus carpio fish, with a 7% recovery rate from the total number of fish analyzed. Although this percentage may seem low, it cannot be ignored given the potential impact on the aquatic environment. This percentage may be less, but it is not ignorable. Indeed, the amount of poorly managed plastic garbage generated by people living around or illegal outskirts garbage dumping near rivers and tributaries is a potential source of aquatic debris.
More Papers Like This
Spatiotemporal microplastic occurrence study of Harike wetland, A Ramsar wetland of India
AI summary Read the abstract
This spatiotemporal study examined microplastic contamination in Harike wetland—the largest wetland in northern India and a Ramsar-designated site—across multiple seasons, sampling both surface water from the associated canal and gut contents of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Microplastic concentrations were significantly higher in winter than in summer or the rainy season, with HDPE and nylon dominating, and FTIR and GC-MS confirmed polymer identity. Microplastics were recovered from 7% of fish guts analyzed, indicating trophic transfer in this ecologically important and regionally water-supply-critical wetland.
Microplastic Contamination in Harike Wetland, a Ramsar Site in Punjab: An Environmental Assessment
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Researchers collected water samples from Harike Wetland, a Ramsar-protected biodiversity hotspot in Punjab, India, and analyzed them for microplastic presence, morphology, and polymer composition using FTIR and pyrolysis-GC/MS. Microplastics including polyethylene were detected, raising concerns about contamination of this critical freshwater ecosystem and its food chain.
Existence of Microplastic as Pollutant in Harike Wetland: An Analysis of Plastic Composition and First Report on Ramsar Wetland of India
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This first-ever study of microplastics in Harike Wetland, India's largest northern wetland and a Ramsar-designated protected site, found plastic particles throughout the water and sediment. The contamination of this internationally recognized conservation area highlights that even protected freshwater ecosystems are not shielded from microplastic pollution.
Microplastics abundance and potential ecological risk assessment in sediment, water and fish of Deepor Beel—a Ramsar Wetland of the Brahmaputra plain, India
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Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in water, sediment, and commonly harvested fish at Deepor Beel, a Ramsar wetland in India. They found microplastics in all sample types, with fibers dominant in water and sediment while fragments were most common in fish tissues. The study identified multiple polymer types through micro-Raman spectroscopy and raises concerns about human exposure through consumption of contaminated fish from this ecologically important wetland.
Assessment and quantification of microplastic contamination in fishes with different food habits from Beel wetlands
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Researchers examined microplastic contamination in fish from freshwater wetlands in India, finding particles in the digestive tracts of all 90 fish sampled across different feeding types. Carnivorous fish accumulated the most microplastics, followed by omnivores and then herbivores, suggesting trophic transfer plays a role. The most common particles were fibers in the 100 to 500 micrometer size range, with polyethylene and nylon as the dominant polymer types.
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