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Microplastic Pollution, A Threat to Human Health: A Case Study at Thoothukudi, South India
Summary
A field study at Thoothukudi, a coastal city in southern India, found microplastics in beach sediments at all seven sampling sites, with fibers and fragments being the most common forms. The results highlight that microplastic pollution is reaching even relatively understudied coastlines in South Asia, with implications for the health of local marine ecosystems and fishing communities.
Microplastic pollution has become a serious problem that affects all marine and terrestrial environments worldwide. In this study, we investigated microplastics in the beach sediments and thus we collected 18 sediments from seven locations in Thoothukudi coastal area. Microplastics were separated and recognized using visual and micro-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (µFT-IR) studies. Microplastics’ concentration ranges from high concentrations (up to 53 particles kg-1 d.w) in the dune areas to visibly lower ranges compared to beach sediments (up to 27 particles kg-1 d.w). The majority of microplastics identified in collected sediments were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), fiber(F), cellulose(CL) and nylon(NY) . The result of this study can provide valuable background information about microplastic pollution by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and the outcome of the results shows the presence of microplastics that pollute the marine environment in Thoothukudi coastal area and the human health risk in these areas.
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