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Environmental Sources
Marine & Wildlife
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Spatial and vertical distribution of microplastics and their ecological risk in an Indian freshwater lake ecosystem
The Science of The Total Environment2022
89 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 60
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Narmatha Sathish,
Jamila Patterson,
Narmatha Sathish,
Jamila Patterson,
Narmatha Sathish,
Jamila Patterson,
Narmatha Sathish,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
Narmatha Sathish,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
J. K. Patterson Edward
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
M. Jayanthi,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Narmatha Sathish,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
M. Jayanthi,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Narmatha Sathish,
M. Jayanthi,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
R.L. Laju,
Jamila Patterson,
M. Jayanthi,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
R.L. Laju,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
R.L. Laju,
Narmatha Sathish,
Jamila Patterson,
R.L. Laju,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Jamila Patterson,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
J. K. Patterson Edward
J. K. Patterson Edward
Jamila Patterson,
J. K. Patterson Edward
J. K. Patterson Edward
Jamila Patterson,
M. Jayanthi,
Jamila Patterson,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
Jamila Patterson,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
K. Immaculate Jeyasanta,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
N. Gladwin Gnana Asir,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
J. K. Patterson Edward
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
Narmatha Sathish,
R.L. Laju,
R.L. Laju,
J. K. Patterson Edward
Jamila Patterson,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
N. Gladwin Gnana Asir,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
Narmatha Sathish,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
J. K. Patterson Edward
J. K. Patterson Edward,
J. K. Patterson Edward
J. K. Patterson Edward
J. K. Patterson Edward,
J. K. Patterson Edward,
J. K. Patterson Edward
Summary
Researchers mapped the spatial and vertical distribution of microplastics in Kodaikanal Lake, a popular tourist destination in India that also serves as a water source for downstream communities. They found microplastics in surface water, surface sediment, and deeper sediment cores, with the highest concentrations near areas of heavy tourist activity. The study highlights how human activities directly influence microplastic contamination patterns in freshwater ecosystems used for drinking water.
This study investigated the spatial and vertical distribution of microplastics (MPs) in the water and sediment samples collected from different locations in Kodaikanal Lake, a very popular tourist location. The lake provides water to placesdownstream. MPs are found in the surface water, surface sediment and core sediment, with their respective values of abundance being 24.42 ± 3.22 items/ l, 28.31 ± 5.29 items/ kg, and 25.91 ± 7.11 items/ kg. Spatially, abundance, colour, type and size of MPs vary in the samples of surface water and sediment. The highest levels of MPs are found in the lakes' outlet region. MPs detected are primarily fibres and fragments 3-5 mm in size with PE and PP being the predominant polymers. Seven sampling points were selected to investigate the vertical distribution of MPs. In the core sediment, the abundance and size of MPs decrease with depth. This probably indicates the presence of more MPs in the recent sediment. The core sediment is dominated by sand silt clay fractions, which facilitates potential downward infiltration of fine MPs. SEM images of MPs reveal that the degree of weathering increases with depth, and EDAX shows that smooth MP surface displays a lesser adhesion ability than the rough surface. Plastic wastes generated by tourism are the important source of MPs in the lake. The lake has high PHI values (>1000) due to MPs with high hazard score polymers (PS and PEU), whereas the PLI values (1.33) indicate low level of MP pollution representing a minor ecological risk. The MP level in Kodaikanal Lake is influenced by the lake's hydrology and the sources of pollution. Although the impacts of MP pollution on the health and functioning of the environment is uncertain, observing, understanding and halting of further MP contamination in the Kodaikanal Lakes is important.