The Prevalence of Microplastics in Water and Sediment Collected from Vellar Estuary in South India

A growing global environmental concern, microplastic contamination is a threat to marine environments and may have negative effects on the environment, society, economy, and human health. The current study's goal was to assess the level of microplastic pollution in Tamil Nadu's Vellar Estuary environment. Two sampling sites along the river area were selected to collect sediment and water samples. The types of microplastics were determined and categorized using FTIR, size and the colour. Abundances of microplastics in surface water and sediments were in the ranges of 0–20 items m− 3 and 10–60 items kg− 1 dry weight, respectively. Microplastics were more abundant in the sediment compared to that of surface water collected from the respective station in the Vellar estuary. Most particles (> 50%) were < 1 mm in the longest dimension; 60% were transparent, pale white and black. Of the 4 compositions identified, polyethylene, polypropylene, and Poly amide are predominated in both phases. The assessment of water and sediment samples from the estuarine environment in terms of microplastic contamination was done for the first time in this study. In light of the quantity of microplastics found in sediments, more investigation is needed to determine the quantity of microplastics discharged by wastewater and other potential emission sources, as well as to assess their role in microplastic contamination of water, sediment, and soil. Future research on microplastic contamination in the sediment of rural areas surrounding the Vellar estuary can build on the foundation this study provides.