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Occurrence, Distribution, and Polymer Characterisation of Microplastics in Urban River Systems of Southern India
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This comprehensive multi-matrix study characterized microplastic contamination across four major urban rivers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India, detecting MPs in surface water, sediments, fish gastrointestinal tracts, and atmospheric deposition across 18 stations and four seasons using µ-FTIR spectroscopy. The findings establish baseline contamination profiles for undermonitored Indian urban rivers and underscore the role of inadequate solid waste management in driving freshwater microplastic pollution.
Microplastics (MPs) — plastic particles smaller than 5 mm — have emerged as a ubiquitous environmental contaminant of global concern, with freshwater systems increasingly recognised as critical conduits for MP transport from terrestrial sources to marine environments. Urban rivers traversing densely populated metropolitan areas accumulate particularly high MP loadings from combined sewer overflows, stormwater runoff, wastewater treatment effluent, and direct littering, yet systematic multi-matrix characterisation of MP contamination in Indian urban rivers remains limited relative to the scale of the problem. India generates approximately 9.46 million tonnes of solid plastic waste annually, a disproportionate fraction of which enters river systems through inadequate solid waste management infrastructure.This study presents the first comprehensive multi-matrix MP characterisation across four major urban rivers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala — the Cooum and Adyar rivers in Chennai Metropolitan Area, the Periyar river in Ernakulam district, and the Pamba river in Pathanamthitta district — encompassing 18 sampling stations, four sampling seasons, and four environmental matrices (surface water, bed sediment, fish gastrointestinal tracts, and atmospheric bulk deposition). µ-FTIR spectroscopy identifies polymer types, stereomicroscopy characterises particle size, shape, and colour, and SEM-EDX examines surface morphology and elemental composition. Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Polymer Risk Index (PRI) assess ecological risk. The Cooum river exhibited the highest MP abundance (2,341 ± 312 items/m³ in surface water; 6,218 ± 634 items/kg dry weight in sediment), with polyethylene (32.4%) and polypropylene (24.7%) as dominant polymer types across all matrices. Significantly elevated MP concentrations were recorded in fish GIT (3.2 ± 1.1 MPs per individual), with 87.4% of sampled fish containing detectable MPs.
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Occurrence, Distribution, and Polymer Characterisation of Microplastics in Urban River Systems of Southern India
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive multi-matrix study characterized microplastic contamination across four major urban rivers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India, detecting MPs in surface water, sediments, fish gastrointestinal tracts, and atmospheric deposition across 18 stations and four seasons using µ-FTIR spectroscopy. The findings establish baseline contamination profiles for undermonitored Indian urban rivers and underscore the role of inadequate solid waste management in driving freshwater microplastic pollution.
Occurrence, Distribution, and Polymer Characterisation of Microplastics in Urban River Systems of Southern India
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive multi-matrix study characterized microplastic contamination across four major urban rivers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India, detecting MPs in surface water, sediments, fish gastrointestinal tracts, and atmospheric deposition across 18 stations and four seasons using µ-FTIR spectroscopy. The findings establish baseline contamination profiles for undermonitored Indian urban rivers and underscore the role of inadequate solid waste management in driving freshwater microplastic pollution.
Occurrence, Distribution, and Polymer Characterisation of Microplastics in Urban River Systems of Southern India
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive multi-matrix study characterized microplastic contamination across four major urban rivers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India, detecting MPs in surface water, sediments, fish gastrointestinal tracts, and atmospheric deposition across 18 stations and four seasons using µ-FTIR spectroscopy. The findings establish baseline contamination profiles for undermonitored Indian urban rivers and underscore the role of inadequate solid waste management in driving freshwater microplastic pollution.
Assessment of Microplastic Contamination in the Sediments of Adyar River, Chennai: Distribution and Source Identification
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This study assessed microplastic contamination in sediments of the Adyar River in Chennai, India, documenting spatial distribution patterns, dominant polymer types including polyethylene and polypropylene, and identifying probable sources through correlation with land use.
A Baseline Study On The Occurrence And Distribution of Microplastics In The Highly Polluted Metropolitan River Cooum, Chennai, India.
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Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in surface sediments and water from the heavily polluted Cooum River in Chennai, India. Fibers were the dominant type found in both matrices, with high concentrations reflecting the urbanized catchment.
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