Distribution and characterization of plastic debris pollution along the Poompuhar Beach, Tamil Nadu, Southern India

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2022-02, Vol.175, p.113337-113337, Article 113337
• Main Authors: Neelavannan, Kannaiyan, Achyuthan, Hema, Sen, Indra Sekhar, Krishnakumar, S., Gopinath, Kalpana, Dhanalakshmi, R., Rajalakshmi, P.R., Sajeev, Riffin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Beaches; Color and shape; Colour; Debris; Detritus; Distribution; Dry weight; Environmental Monitoring; Fishing; Geologic Sediments; India; Microplastics; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastics; Polyethylene; Polyethylenes; Polymer type; Polymers; Polypropylene; Polystyrene; Polystyrene resins; Polyvinyl chloride; Poompuhar Beach; Rain; Rain water; River mouth; River mouths; Rivers; Runoff; Sediment samplers; Sediment samples; Sediments; Storm runoff; Tourism; Tourist activities; Urban Water Engineering; VA-teknik; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113337

The present study was carried out to determine the characteristics, distribution, and abundance of plastic debris in 25 sediment samples collected from the Poompuhar beach, southeast coast of India. The result reveals that the mean plastic debris abundance was 42 ± 27 particles/m2 dry weight (dw) (1 SD, n = 25) with higher concentrations in the river mouth. The dominant shapes in the study area were fragment (70.7%), followed by fiber (20.7%), and pellet-shaped (8.6%). The dominant colors of the plastic debris were: white-colored (47%) followed by blue (28%) and green (14%). The study further reveals that the dominant polymer type was polyethylene (PE, 63.4%), followed by nylon (PA, 16.9), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 15.5%), polypropylene (PP, 3.1%), and polystyrene (PS, 1.1%). In the study area, the main source of plastic debris was from land-based fishing and tourism activities, and rainwater runoff from the Cauvery River. [Display omitted] •Plastic pollution was addressed along Poompuhar Beach, south east coast of India.•Dominant plastic shape was fragment (70.7%) > fiber (20.7%) > pellet (8.6%).•Plastic debris sources mainly from the terrestrial and marine sources.•Polyethylene (PE, 63.4%) was the dominant polymer in the study area.•Dominant plastics size was meso (68.1%), and micro (25.2%).