STUDY ON MICROPLASTIC CHALLENGE – INDIAN STATUS AND SOLUTIONS

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STUDY ON MICROPLASTIC CHALLENGE –
INDIAN STATUS AND SOLUTIONS
An Investigatory project submitted for AISSE 2021
Kendriya Vidyalaya Ballygunge
Kolkata
INVESTIGATOR- Srinjoy Chatterjee
Shouvik Das
GUIDE- Mr. Sabitabrata Mandal
PGT Biology
KV Ballygunge

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CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I
LIST OF FIGURES II
CHAPTER-I INTRODUCTION
1. WHAT IS MICROPLASTIC?
2. DISCOVERY OF MICROPLASTIC
3.WHAT ARE CHALLENGES TO ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER-II TOXCITY ASSOCIATED WITH MICROPLASTIC
CHAPTER-III CHALLENGES OR GAP IN STUDIES
CHAPTER-IV POTENTIAL RISK TO MARINE LIFE AND HUMAN
CHAPTER-V GLOBAL SCENERIO OF PLASTIC POLLUTION
CHAPTER-VI RISK OF MICROPLASTIC IN INDIA
CHAPTER-VII MITIGATION OR CONTROLLING MEASURE
CHAPTER-VIII ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
1. SOLUTIONS BY GOV,SCIENTISTS &
INDUSTRIES
2. LAWS AND BANS
3. MEASURE TO DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL
4. SOLUTIONS USING SPACE BASED
TECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER-IX CONCLUSION

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List of Pictures
PICTURE NO. PICTURE
I MOVEMENT PATHWAY
FOR MICROPLASTIC IN
THE OCEAN
II SEA TURTLE TAKING IN
PLASTIC PRODUCT
III SEA BIRD FOUND HAVING
PLASTIC PRODUCT INSIDE
IT WHEN DEAD
IV MICROPLASTIC
BIOMAGNIFICATION IN
HUMAN
TABLE ON MICROPLASTIC
CONTAMINATION
WORLDWIDE
V WAX WORM
VI WORMS IN HONEYCOMB
FEEDING ON WAX
VII SOLUTIONS OF
MICROPLASTIC
POLLUTION

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INTRODUCTION
What is micro plastic?
1. Microplastic (MPs) now has emerged as an alarming environmental pollutant and
its prevalence is now widely observed in various ecosystems.
2. The term “microplastic” coined by Thompson et al in the year 2004 basically
represents heterogeneous mixture of smaller plastic fragments in the size range of
0.001-5 mm.
3. They may originate either directly (primary sources) through engineered particles
such as microbeads/microfibers widely used in Personal Care Products or through
fragmentation of larger plastic particles as a result of various anthropogenic
activities (secondary sources).
Examples - Fragments of fishing gear, packages and drink bottles, synthetic textiles,
car tyres, paints, and cosmetics. Natural breakdown through UV rays of sunlight,
microbial processes, or through thermal oxidative processes also account for
fragmentation of large plastic particles into MPs.
4. MPs basically consists of six major types of plastic products namely, Polyethylene
(PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyamide (PA), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polystyrene
(PS), Polyurethane (PUR), and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).
Discovery of Micro Plastic
1. Prevalence of MPs is conclusively reported in marine and freshwater systems.
They can easily transport from source areas by water currents and wind to long
distance and finally distributed in the sea shore or the sediments or even in the
pristine environment such as Antarctica.

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Challenges to Ecosystem
1. At present, worldwide production of plastic is about 320 million tons and is rising
exponentially.
2. It is estimated that by 2050 it will reach 33 billion tons. At a similar pace, micro
plastic pollution is also rising alarmingly.
3. More recently, it has been estimated that 10% of plastics produced end up in
oceans, comprising 60%-80% of the marine litter.

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Figure 1:- Movement pathways for microplastics in the oceans.
4. Since plastic/micro plastic are persistent in nature and widely distributed in marine
system, these are considered as great threat to marine and other life forms.
5. Because of smaller size of MPs they are easily ingested by a wide range of lower
organisms. Uptake and accumulation of MPs have been documented in various
marine organisms ranging from planktonic species to fish and reported to cause
deleterious effect on them vis-à-vis the marine food web.

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Toxicity associated with MPs and present
status
1. In aquatic systems, depending upon the density, MP particles may either be
settling down at the sediment or float in the water. MPs are reported to be favorable
site for formation of biofilm and may aggregate to settle down.
2. In aquatic systems concentration of MPs are higher in sediments than in the
surface water. Because of their smaller size they are easily interact with aquatic biota
or ingested by the planktonic communities, invertebrates, and fishes.
3. Presence of MPs in different aquatic taxa has been reported by various researchers
from international arena. Presence of these MPs is reported to adversely affect the
growth of organisms and thus affect the ecological functions.
4. The uptake of MPs by the organisms may lead to blockage of alimentary canal
and associated appendages smaller MPs may even absorbed by the epithelial cells
of intestinal tract and may pass to the circulatory system thereby causing the toxicity.
Figure 2:- Sea turtle taking in plastic product.

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5. Through lower animals’ MPs can easily pass from one tropic level to other through
food chain. MPs could even be transfer to higher order of food chain (including
humans) through consumption of contaminated food or water.
6. Presence of MPs in table salts and drinking water raises concern as these products
are directly taken by human and thus could be source of MPs to human beings.
7. In addition to that direct inhalation of MPs from the atmosphere also acts as a
prominent source of MPs to humans.
8. MP’s act as a vector for proliferation of antibiotic resistance human pathogenic
microbes and this pose a potential threat to living beings.
9. Threat from MPs is further compounded because of their hydrophobic nature
and large surface area to volume ratio MPs are ideal platform for adsorption of
various persistent organic and inorganic contaminants .Combination of the two
may aggravate the toxicity.
Figure 3:- Sea bird found having plastic products inside it when dead.

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Challenges or gaps in the studies
1. There is no uniform methodology for detection or quantification of MPs in
environmental samples. Every reported method has some limitations (based on size
or color) and this should be addressed seriously in order to suitably assess the levels
of MPs in environmental samples .
2. Most of the reports on MPs are from marine and freshwater aquatic systems and
reports of the same from terrestrial systems are limited. Thus, in order to figure out
the extent of MPs levels, its fate and behavior in terrestrial ecosystems, there is a
need to look into this aspect also.
3. Toxicological evaluation of MPs is not accurately demonstrated. Nevertheless,
their presence in different life forms especially the lower aquatic biota is well
documented. There is also a need to comprehensively evaluate the toxicity of MPs
and its associated contaminants in different life forms so that possible toxic effects
on humans and other higher life forms could be minimized.

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The potential risk to marine life and
human being
1. Microplastics includes plastic waste, synthetic fibres are very much harmful to
marine life as the pollutant travels all the way from rivers to seas or oceans.
2. The sea fish sometimes consume such plastic waste and unknowingly human
being consume such seafood and the microplastics which contain toxins enters in the
bloodstream and affects the health directly.
3. The size of microplastics ranges anything less than 5 mm are being recognized as
one of the greatest threat to the marine environment across the whole world. They
are so light that it can be easily tossed itself and for many water species it looks like
the food and they consume it. It then gets accumulate inside the stomach.
4. Microplastic can also acts like a transport medium for other toxic elements such
as DDT and hexachlorobenzene and eventually end up within the body of living
organism who consume it. And hence such contaminant poses a potential threat to
Environment and mankind.

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Figure 4:- Microplastics Biomagnification in Human
The global scenario of plastic pollution
1. It is estimated that the world uses around 5 trillions of plastics bags annually.
2. It is estimated that around 13 millions of plastic waste get accumulate in the seas
and oceans annually.
3. It is estimated that in last decade, more plastic has been manufactured and used
than in whole last century.
4. We use 50% plastic as single-use plastics or disposable.
5. Plastics waste makes up more than 10% of the total waste we generate daily.
Table 1:- Microplastic contamination in various estuarine water/sediments reported
worldwide.

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Risk of plastics and micro plastics in
India
1. Research on Microplastics in India was reported and presence of plastic waste (81
mg/kg) such as polyurethane, nylon, polystyrene, polyester particles in the marine
sediments of Gujarat coast .
2. India is one of the major plastic consumers of the world with an average plastic
generation of 5.6 million tons of plastic annually.
3. The main polymer compound was Low-density polyethene.

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Mitigation or controlling measures
1. At present there is no report of any technology or study through which it is
possible to combat MPs pollution. Hence source reduction is the only options
through which we can prevent present situation to reach further aggravate level.
2. It is difficult to circumvent the usage of plastic from daily life but reduce use will
surely minimize the secondary sources of MPs.
3. Avoiding the usage of plastic products and products designated as primary sources
of MPs will too certainly help in controlling the primary source of MPs in the
environment.
4. Use of biodegradable plastic materials as far as possible in place of synthetic
plastic is another major option to minimize the plastic menace.

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5. Considering ubiquitous presence of MPs and its rising level in the environment,
the role of policy makers to regulate the MP pollution from industries and other
prominent sources is highly advisable.
6. Public awareness with respect to MPs pollution and its detrimental effects on
environment is also one of the prominent ways to curb menace of MPs pollution.
ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION
WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS TO THIS MENACE?
1. SOLUTIONS BY REGULATORS, SCIENTISTS, GOVERNMENT AND
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.
Microplastics are tiny and may not be easily noticed as a treat to both sea and human
life, therefore there is an urgent need to combat it. The potential risk to food security,
and thereby human health, has led:

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• regulators to call for better understanding education and public awareness of the
fate and effects of microplastic debris on marine life.
• to the call for urgent actions by scientists (researching more) government (putting
right policies in place) and the manufacturing industries on the need for the reduction
of the production and activities resulting in the availability and spread of
microplastic into the marine environment.
• To the need to strengthen international and regional cooperation in this area among:
decision-makers researchers and academias to raise awareness in addressing water-
related issues.
2. PUTTING IN PLACE APPRORIATE PROHIBITIONS, LAWS AND
BANS.
The following should be done:
• For Countries: Prohibiting or disincentivizing land-based materials causing marine
litter such as the use of microbead plastics for toothpaste.
• For Manufacturing: National law and sub-national law should be put in place.
• At Retail Level: National Law and sub-national law should be put in place.
3. MEASURES TO DO AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
• Report plastics pollutions e.g by using hashtag #plasticspollution with the photo,
date and location.
• Cut down on plastics by staying clear of plastic products. Look for natural
alternatives or reuseable containers. Don’t buy cleansers and cosmetics with
microbeads.
• Clean-up plastic pollution. When possible use a pool or aquarium skimmer to
remove plastics debris from the water and throw the debris in the garbage.

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Figure 5:- Wax worms Figure 6:- The worms in honeycombs feeding on wax.
• Gathering of wax worm to degrade heap-up plastics. The worms live in
honeycombs, where they feed on wax. 100 wax worms degrade 92 milligrams of a
plastic shopping bag. At this rate, it will take 100 worms nearly a month to
completely break down an average of 5.5gram plastic bag.
4. SOLUTIONS USING SPACE BASED TECHNOLOGIES.
• Space based technologies, applications and services such as satellite remote
sensing through space observations could be used to study plastic and microplastic
related pollutions in the oceans for better water management for the benefit of
humankind and the environment.
• This is because this technology is able to address the challenge on global scale.
• Satellites provide researchers and policy-makers with vital information about the
Earth’s water system, enabling the prevention/preparedness to response/post-
recovery through:
a) Monitoring
b) Prediction
c) Modelling
d) Implementation of mitigation and adaptation measures.

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• Satellites provides information before and after disaster, as well as ensures timely
response to emergencies such as flood, drought, tsunami, hurricane etc.
Seeing this picture, is it achievable to have an Empty Ocean, clean and free
from microplastics by 2048?
CONCLUSION
1. Overall in could be concluded that microplastic pollution has reached to alarming
situation.
2. Its toxicity and other environmental implications now are easily visualized.

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3. Before the situation further deteriorates there is urgent need to check spread of
MPs in the environment.
Figure 7:- Solutions of Microplastic pollution.

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