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Prevalence of microplastics in the sediments of Odisha beaches, southeastern coast of India

Marine Pollution Bulletin 2021 73 citations

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This first study of microplastic prevalence on beaches of the Odisha coast in southeastern India documented widespread contamination, with fiber and fragment types dominated by polypropylene and polyethylene across multiple beach sites.

Study Type Environmental

The prevalence of microplastics along the coastal habitats has become a global concern owing to the increased input of plastic debris from multiple sources. The present study is the first of its kind to examine the prevalence and distribution of microplastics in Odisha coast. The average microplastic abundance in the nine stations along Odisha coastal beach is 258.7 ± 90.0 particles/kg of beach sediment. Among the stations sampled, Swargadwara was reported with the highest microplastic abundance of 378.3 ± 39.7 particles/kg of beach sediment andAbhayachandpurwas found with the lowest number of 153.3 ± 27.3 particles/kg. Different types of microplastics varying in color, size, and shape were encountered in the study. From the Raman spectroscopic analysis, twelve types of polymers including High Density Polyethylene, Polystyrene, Polyvinyl chloride, and acrylonitrile copolymer were identified.

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