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Spatiotemporal microplastic occurrence study of Harike wetland, A Ramsar wetland of India
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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.
Abstract 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, which is the largest wetland in North India and is a great home for migratory birds and aquatic animals, and the water of its canal that supplies water to the semiarid part of India's largest state, microplastics in the water were analyzed. Apart from seasonal variation, the fish gut of C. carpio caught from the fishing site of the canal has also been analysed. Between sites 1 and 2, no significant difference was found in the quantity of microplastics, but in season variation, winter showed a higher significant level than summer and the rainy season. The wetland and canal were dominated by two types of plastics: HDPE and nylon. The conformational test, along with FTIR and GC-MS, was also performed. From the gut of C. carpio, microplastics of less than 5mm in size were also recovered. The percentage of recovery was 7% of the total fish analysed. 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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