Goa’s beaches most littered in the country
EVERY METRE OF BEACH SAND IN GOA HAS AN AVERAGE 25.47G OF PLASTIC. THE TOTAL LITTER IS 205.75G/M2 — THE HIGHEST IN INDIA
MUMBAI: Goa’s beaches have the highest concentration of plastic debris in India, says a study by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi.
Every metre of beach sand in Goa has an average 25.47g of plastic. The total litter, including nylon fishing nets, glass, e-waste, Styrofoam and thermocol, is 205.75g/m2 — the highest in the country.
The 12-member team analysed the distribution of six categories of litter on 254 beaches, including 12 in Goa, across 11 states and Union Territories, which share India’s 7,516km coastline.
After Goa, the 33 beaches in Karnataka are contaminated the most with plastic, with a concentration of 21.91g/m2 followed by 12 beaches in Gujarat at an average 12.62g/m2. The quantum of litter on Karnataka’s beaches was 178.44 g/m2 and 90.56g/m2 in Gujarat.
Plastic is also a concern on the beaches of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, which have 8.97gms (total litter 19.23 g/m2) and 4.37g/m2 (10.97g/m2) of plastic per square metre of sand. The lowest average quantity of plastic litter was recorded in Odisha at 0.08g/m2.
Plastic items comprise sheets and single-use carry bags, sachets of detergents, containers used to pack milk, cosmetics, oil, toothpaste and PET bottles. Experts said apart from beaches, plastic debris is a threat to marine life – from whales to turtles and coral reefs to sea birds – and potentially humans through the food chain.
“There is now almost no place in the ocean anymore that is not polluted by plastic. Almost all marine organisms have at least a bit of plastic inside their guts, which is obviously not good for them,” said Erik van Sebille, ocean scientist at Utrecht University, Netherlands, who studies plastic pollution and was not involved in the study, in an email interview.
With grocery and other household essentials coming increasingly wrapped in plastic, P Kaladharan, principal investigator, CMFRI, said, “Humans belong to a throwaway culture where we use and throw plastic that finally reaches the sea through river or land run-offs. Under hot and humid conditions, plastic litter on beaches becomes brittle and reaches into the sea in the form of micro plastics.”
Measuring less than 5mm in length — or the size of sesame seed — microplastics are created when large plastic debris degrades into tiny pieces.
“When microplastics float in the sea, they get ingested especially by filter feeders such as clams, krill, baleen whales and flamingos. Plastic debris also sits on the sea bed, and can release toxic chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls due its interaction with water,” said Kaladharan. “Plastic bags in the ocean appear as floating jelly fish, which is consumed by sea turtles, choking them since they cannot throw it out.”
A 2016 study also found that all seven species of turtles are known to ingest or get entangled in plastic debris in the sea, while more than 700 species of marine organisms are in danger of extinction. Goa | Karnataka | Gujarat
Nylon fishing nets, glass, e-waste and thermocol Experts said apart from beaches, plastic is a threat to marine life and humans, through the food chain.