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Environmental Sources
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The abundance and characteristics of microplastics in surface water in the transboundary Ganges River
Environmental Pollution2021
383 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 55
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Sarah E. Nelms
Sarah E. Nelms
Emily M. Duncan,
Sarah E. Nelms
Sunanda Bhola,
Imogen E. Napper,
Richard C. Thompson,
Imogen E. Napper,
Richard C. Thompson,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Emily M. Duncan,
Emily M. Duncan,
Imogen E. Napper,
Emily M. Duncan,
Emily M. Duncan,
Sunanda Bhola,
Sumit Kumar,
Emily M. Duncan,
Sarah E. Nelms
Emily M. Duncan,
Sumit Kumar,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Richard C. Thompson,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Richard C. Thompson,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Sarah E. Nelms
Sarah E. Nelms
Richard C. Thompson,
Sarah E. Nelms
Richard C. Thompson,
Emily M. Duncan,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Taylor Maddalene,
Aaron Barrett,
Taylor Maddalene,
Bede Ffinian Rowe Davies,
Aaron Barrett,
Anju Baroth,
Anju Baroth,
Richard C. Thompson,
Imogen E. Napper,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Imogen E. Napper,
Imogen E. Napper,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Sarah E. Nelms
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Sarah E. Nelms
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Md. Nazmul Hasan Niloy,
Md. Nazmul Hasan Niloy,
Heather J. Koldewey,
Richard C. Thompson,
Aaron Barrett,
Aaron Barrett,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Aaron Barrett,
Md. Nazmul Hasan Niloy,
Md. Nazmul Hasan Niloy,
Aaron Barrett,
Aaron Barrett,
Aaron Barrett,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Sunanda Bhola,
Richard C. Thompson,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Sarah E. Nelms
Sunanda Bhola,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Heather J. Koldewey,
Richard C. Thompson,
Bede Ffinian Rowe Davies,
Sarah E. Nelms
Sarah E. Nelms
Sarah E. Nelms
Richard C. Thompson,
Imogen E. Napper,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Gawsia Wahidunnessa Chowdhury,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Bede Ffinian Rowe Davies,
Richard C. Thompson,
Taylor Maddalene,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Emily M. Duncan,
Emily M. Duncan,
Emily M. Duncan,
Richard C. Thompson,
Taylor Maddalene,
Sumit Kumar,
Sumit Kumar,
Imogen E. Napper,
Richard C. Thompson,
Sarah E. Nelms
Sarah E. Nelms
Sarah E. Nelms
Sarah E. Nelms
Sarah E. Nelms
Md. Nazmul Hasan Niloy,
Richard C. Thompson,
Md. Nazmul Hasan Niloy,
Richard C. Thompson,
Md. Nazmul Hasan Niloy,
Md. Nazmul Hasan Niloy,
Sarah E. Nelms
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Bushra Nishat,
Richard C. Thompson,
Heather J. Koldewey,
Bushra Nishat,
Bushra Nishat,
Richard C. Thompson,
Bushra Nishat,
Taylor Maddalene,
Taylor Maddalene,
Taylor Maddalene,
Richard C. Thompson,
Taylor Maddalene,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Heather J. Koldewey,
Richard C. Thompson,
Heather J. Koldewey,
Richard C. Thompson,
Sarah E. Nelms
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Richard C. Thompson,
Emily M. Duncan,
Sarah E. Nelms
Summary
Researchers conducted the first investigation of microplastic abundance along a 2,575-kilometer stretch of the Ganges River across pre- and post-monsoon seasons. The study found that fibers comprised 91% of microplastics, with higher concentrations before the monsoon, and estimates that the combined Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system could release 1 to 3 billion microplastic particles into the Bay of Bengal every day.
Study Type
Environmental
Microplastics (plastic < 5 mm in size) are now known to contaminate riverine systems but understanding about how their concentrations vary spatially and temporally is limited. This information is critical to help identify key sources and pathways of microplastic and develop management interventions. This study provides the first investigation of microplastic abundance, characteristics and temporal variation along the Ganges river; one of the most important catchments of South Asia. From 10 sites along a 2575 km stretch of the river, 20 water samples (3600 L in total) were filtered (60 samples each from pre- and post-monsoon season). Overall, 140 microplastic particles were identified, with higher concentrations found in the pre-monsoon (71.6%) than in post-monsoon (61.6%) samples. The majority of microplastics were fibres (91%) and the remaining were fragments (9%). We estimate that the Ganges, with the combined flows of the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers (GBM), could release up to 1-3 billion (10) microplastics into the Bay of Bengal (north-eastern portion of the Indian Ocean) every day. This research provides the first step in understanding microplastic contamination in the Ganges and its contribution to the oceanic microplastic load.