Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Marine & Wildlife Policy & Risk Sign in to save

Evaluation of microplastic pollution and risk assessment in a tropical monsoonal estuary, with special emphasis on contamination in jellyfish

Environmental Pollution 2023 18 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 45 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

P. Hari Praved, P. Hari Praved, Kariyil Veettil Neethu, Kariyil Veettil Neethu, Kariyil Veettil Neethu, Kariyil Veettil Neethu, Kariyil Veettil Neethu, Kariyil Veettil Neethu, S. Bijoy Nandan, Naduvath Deepak Sankar, S. Bijoy Nandan, Naduvath Deepak Sankar, Kariyil Veettil Neethu, Shambanagouda Rudragouda Marigoudar E.H. Aravind, E.H. Aravind, Kariyil Veettil Neethu, Sruthy Sebastian, S. Bijoy Nandan, S. Bijoy Nandan, Shambanagouda Rudragouda Marigoudar Krishna Venkatarama Sharma, Sruthy Sebastian, Shambanagouda Rudragouda Marigoudar Shambanagouda Rudragouda Marigoudar S. Bijoy Nandan, Krishna Venkatarama Sharma, Shambanagouda Rudragouda Marigoudar Shambanagouda Rudragouda Marigoudar

Summary

This study examined microplastic pollution in a tropical monsoon estuary with special focus on contamination in jellyfish, finding microplastics in both the water and jellyfish tissue across sampling sites. The results highlight estuaries as hotspots for microplastic accumulation and jellyfish as novel indicators of contamination.

Polymers

PA PE PP

Study Type Environmental

Estuaries, which serve as vital links between land and coastal ecosystems, play a significant part in facilitating the transfer of plastic waste from the land to the ocean. In this research, we examined the prevalence, characteristics, and ecological risks of microplastics (MPs) in the extensively urbanized Cochin Estuarine System (CES), India. Additionally, it represents one of the initial evidence-based examinations of MPs ingestion by jellyfish in Indian waters, focusing on Acromitus flagellatus, Blackfordia virginica, and Pleurobrachia pileus species. The abundance of MPs found in the surface water of the Cochin Estuarine System (CES) varied between 14.44 ± 9 to 30 ± 15.94 MP/m, with an average of 21.6 ± 11 MP/m. In both surface waters and jellyfish from the Cochin Estuarine System (CES), fibers were the most prevalent type of MPs, with polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyamide (PA) being the most common polymer varieties. To evaluate the current levels of MPs and their effect on the CES, the Pollution Load Index (PLI), Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI), and Polymeric Risk Index (H) were utilized. The high PLI values (20.33), high H values (234.02), and extreme PERI value (1646.06) indicate that the CES is facing an extreme ecological risk. Among the 280 jellyfish individuals examined, 118 (42.14%) were recognized to contain MPs with an average of 1.54 ± 2.68 MPs/individual. Pearson bivariate analysis revealed a significant correlation between the jellyfish bell size and number of plastics per individual. Comparison between jellyfish species revealed, the majority (66%) of the MPs identified in jellyfish were from A. flagellatus and 44 among the 50 jellyfish examined (88%) had MPs. These findings suggest that A. flagellatus may be a potential sink for MPs and may be utilized to be a bioindicator for monitoring MPs contamination in estuarine systems, aiding in future plastic pollution mitigation efforts.

Read via DOI PubMed

Share this paper

Post Share Share Pin Email