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Spatial distribution of meso and microplastics in the sediments of river Ganga at eastern India
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Meso- and microplastics were documented throughout the sediments of the Ganga River at sites in eastern India, with concentrations varying by location and sediment type. The study highlights that India's most sacred and heavily populated river carries significant plastic pollution that settles in sediments along its lower reaches.
Small plastic debris is one of the most significant emerging pollutants, due to their extreme durability and synthetic nature, possessing a tremendous threat to the aquatic environment. In the present study, sediments of river Ganga at a lower stretch were analyzed for distribution of meso and microplastics at seven different locations viz. Buxar, Patna, Bhagalpur, Nabadwip, Barrackpore, Godakhali and Fraserganj. All the sediments were found to contain mesoplastics (>5 mm) and microplastics (<5 mm) particles with varying degree of the mass fraction (11.48 to 63.79 ng/g sediments), numerical abundance (99.27-409.86 items/kg) and morphotypes. Analysis of the mesoplastics with FT-IR revealed polyethylene terepthalate (39%) as the major contributing plastic debris in the sediments followed by polyethylene (30%). Statistical analysis revealed a strong correlation between microplastics abundance and the pollution traits, BOD and available phosphate, of water and sediment, respectively. This study exhibits the spatial distribution of meso and microplastics in the highly populated locations along the river Ganga emphasizing the attention to be given to this emerging pollutant in the inland river system underlining their role as a transporter of plastic fragments finally to the ocean.
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Researchers sampled microplastics in water and sediment at five cities along India's Ganga River, finding concentrations of 17–36 items/kg in sediment and 380–684 items/1000 m in water, with white film-shaped polyethylene particles as the dominant type.
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This study investigated microplastic pollution in sediments along the lower Ganga River in East India, finding that land use type and seasonal rainfall patterns significantly influence the abundance and distribution of microplastics across different stretches of the river.
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Researchers assessed microplastic contamination along the full length of the Ganges River from the Himalayan foothills to the tidal reach downstream of Kolkata, India, finding particles throughout the catchment at varying concentrations. The study is one of the first comprehensive surveys of microplastics along this major river system, which is estimated to be one of the world's largest ocean plastic sources.
Insights into the seasonal variation, distribution, composition and dynamics of microplastics in the Ganga River ecosystem of Varanasi City, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Researchers measured microplastic pollution in the Ganga River in Varanasi, India, and found contamination in both water and sediment samples across all seasons. Concentrations were higher after the monsoon season, with common plastics like polyethylene terephthalate, polyester, and PVC dominating the samples. Since the Ganga is used for drinking water, bathing, and agriculture by millions of people, this contamination raises direct concerns about human exposure to microplastics.
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Researchers quantified microplastics at 19 sites across the upper Himalayan Ganga River over six months, finding concentrations of 100–1,550 particles per liter in water and rising contamination levels downstream toward densely populated cities, with fibers, polyethylene, and post-monsoon conditions dominating the pollution profile.
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