Here’s where your plastic goes: Inside marine species
Study finds most microplastics in bivalves, followed by fish, shrimp
MUMBAI: A three-year-long study by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Versova, found microplastics in all marine species samples off the coast of Mumbai
Microplastics are particles created as large pieces of plastic debris break down They don’t get filtered by wastewater treatment systems and find their way to the sea through inland waterways, finally affecting the food chain
“Over the past three years, we have been working with microplastic occurrence in fish, bivalves, and shrimp We analysed close to 300 samples with 200 samples just for croaker fish (doma), and all of them had microplastics in them,” said CIFE researcher Martin Xavier
The study, presented during a discussion organised on Monday by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and University of Mumbai, found that samples collected between eight to 10 kms off the Mumbai coast contained 08 microplastic particles in every gram of fish The size of microplastics found in marine species was less than 100 microns
Bivalves – molluscs like mussels and oysters, whose bodies are enclosed by a shell with two hinged parts – had the most microplastics, followed by fish while shrimp had the least “The larger the species, more the chances of finding large-sized plastic pieces,” said Xavier “If this is not addressed, it may threaten our seafood export,” he said
According to World Health Organization (WHO), preliminary studies suggest microplastics in drinking water don’t pose a health risk at current levels However, there are concerns that absorption and distribution of very small microplastic particles may pose health risks
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) also presented findings from an ongoing study on the presence of microplastic in Powai Lake, Girgaum chowpatty and Aksa beach Over 500 particles of microplastics per kg were found in sediments from Powai Lake and around 800 particles of microplastic per kg were found in samples from the two beaches
“Consumption of this water may not have immediate impact, but over time is extremely harmful,” said Sayan Dutta, a researcher from IIT-B