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Environmental Sources
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Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of microplastic pellets and their associated contaminants along the central east coast of India
Environmental Science and Pollution Research2023
16 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 45
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Chayanika Rathore,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
Mallela Pruthvi Raju,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
Mahua Saha
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
Mallela Pruthvi Raju,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
Mahua Saha
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
V. Suneel,
Akshata Naik,
Mahua Saha
S. Veerasingam,
Mahua Saha
Mahua Saha
S. Veerasingam,
Mahua Saha
Mahua Saha
Mahua Saha
S. Veerasingam,
Mahua Saha
Mahua Saha
Mahua Saha
Chayanika Rathore,
S. Veerasingam,
Mahua Saha
Akshata Naik,
Chayanika Rathore,
Mahua Saha
Chayanika Rathore,
Mahua Saha
V. Suneel,
V. Suneel,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
V. Suneel,
Chayanika Rathore,
V. Suneel,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
S. Veerasingam,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
Mahua Saha
Chayanika Rathore,
Mahua Saha
Mahua Saha
Chayanika Rathore,
S. Veerasingam,
Mahua Saha
Chayanika Rathore,
Mahua Saha
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
V. Suneel,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
S. Veerasingam,
S. Veerasingam,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
V. Suneel,
Mahua Saha
Akshata Naik,
Mahua Saha
Akshata Naik,
Chayanika Rathore,
Chayanika Rathore,
S. Veerasingam,
Akshata Naik,
Chayanika Rathore,
Akshata Naik,
Chayanika Rathore,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
Chayanika Rathore,
Mahua Saha
Mahua Saha
Chayanika Rathore,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
Akshata Naik,
P. Suneetha,
Mahua Saha
S. S. V. S. Ramakrishna,
Chayanika Rathore,
S. S. V. S. Ramakrishna,
Chayanika Rathore,
Mahua Saha
Mahua Saha
Summary
Microplastic pellets were documented for the first time along eight beaches of Andhra Pradesh on India's central east coast, with higher abundance during the northeast monsoon season, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis confirming adsorption of heavy metals including Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn.
Microplastic pellets (MPPs) are one of the significant sources of plastic pollution on shorelines worldwide. In this study, for the first time, we have examined the occurrence of MPPs and their spatial and seasonal distributions, adsorbed contaminants, polymer composition, and ecological risks at eight renowned beaches of Andhra Pradesh, central east coast of India. A total of 3950 MPPs were collected from eight beaches along the central east coast of India during October 2020, representing pre-northeast monsoon (pNEM), and during January 2021, representing the northeast monsoon (NEM). The abundance of MPPs was higher during the NEM than those found in the pNEM. ATR-FTIR and SEM analyses were conducted to characterize the polymer types and weathering patterns of MPPs. Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) results show the MPP adsorbance of heavy metals such as Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The degree of contamination and polymer hazard risks of MPPs were assessed using the pollution load index (PLI) and polymer hazard index (PHI). The conducive wind and currents during the NEM lead to higher MPP abundance than during the pNEM. However, the spatial variations of MPPs showed significant differences among the beaches. This study revealed that the presence of MPPs on the beaches along the central east coast of India might pose a considerable polymer hazard risk to the ecosystem. The substantial surface weathering features of MPPs would lead to more toxic nanoplastics in the future.