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Microplastic Research in India: Current Status and Future Perspectives
Summary
This chapter reviews the state of microplastic research in India, covering contamination data from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments as well as in seafood and food products consumed by the public. The authors identify inconsistent sampling and identification methods as a key barrier to understanding the true scale of the problem, and argue that improvements in waste management and stronger regulations are urgently needed. Given India's large coastline, major river systems, and rapidly growing plastic consumption, this review highlights an important knowledge gap in global microplastic risk assessment.
Microplastics (MPs) have been reported from all major ecosystems in the world during the last few decades. Recent studies indicate that several organisms including humans are ingesting MPs. Therefore, the impact of MPs on ecosystem functions and human health is an area of increasing global concern. In line with the international scenario, MP research in India has also gained momentum during the last few years, as evidenced by the increasing number of publications. In this context, the present study aims to review the scientific data related to MP research in India. This chapter summarizes the data on MP from various environmental matrices, such as marine, freshwater, and terrestrial. MPs in biota and food items destined for human consumption were also given due importance. The methodologies employed for sampling, extracting, identifying, and reporting about MPs were also critically evaluated. The contaminants commonly adsorbed on the surface of MPs and the additives used in plastics were discussed with respect to their impact on living organisms. The need for improvements in waste and wastewater treatment systems has been emphasized to reduce MP contamination in the future. The existing policies and regulations in India were examined and suggestions were proposed to control MPs. The study also identified the major challenges facing MP research in India and highlighted the priority areas for future research.