Baseline Study on Microplastics in Indian Rivers under Different Anthropogenic Influences

Microplastic particles are found in environmental compartments all over the world and receive a great deal of attention, especially aquatic environment. Currently, particularly high input microplastics via Asian rivers is assumed, but so far, there hardly any data through field measurements. Three South India were considered for this purpose to focus on their microplastic load. The emphasis was comparison concentrations urban rural rivers. While two megacity Chennai (Tamil Nadu) have an average concentration 0.4 particles/L, river near Munnar (Kerala) had 0.2 particles/L. Rough estimates annual discharge from Adyar River (Chennai) into Bay Bengal be as 11.6 trillion particles. This study should one first baseline studies loads Indian streams complemented with further sampling before, during after monsoon season get more detailed information storage transportation fluvial under different weather conditions.