TY - JOUR
T1 - Hidden problems in geological heritage sites
T2 - The microplastic issue on Saint Mary's Island, India, Southeast Arabian Sea
AU - Khaleel, Rizwan
AU - Valsan, Gokul
AU - Rangel-Buitrago, Nelson
AU - Warrier, Anish Kumar
N1 - Funding Information:
This study is a contribution from the Department of Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and Universidad del Atlántico, Puerto Colombia. RK thanks Ms. K. Amrutha for her support during the work. The authors are grateful to Mr. Praveen, the instrument technician, and to Dr. Suma A. Rao, Head, Department of Chemistry, MIT, for approving the use of the instrument to undertake ATR-FTIR analysis. The authors appreciate the help rendered by the Central Instrumentation Facility, MIT during the SEM-EDS analysis. The authors thank the Associate Editor and two anonymous reviewers whose insightful comments helped in improving the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2022/9
Y1 - 2022/9
N2 - Microplastics (MPs) have become a dominant constituent of several oceanic islands. This study focuses on the occurrence and distribution of MPs present in the beach sediments of Saint Mary's Island (SMI), a geological heritage site located in the south-eastern part of the Arabian Sea. The average (standard deviation) abundance of MPs on this island was 97.18 (80.49) particles/kg. Attenuated total reflectance—Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that MPs are composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyamide (PA). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) highlighted the presence of Cr, As, Pb, and Cd (harmful pollutants) on MP surfaces. The MPs in the SMI are largely contributed by the nearby fishing harbour, touristic beaches and estuaries. The results of this study, act as a starting point for continuous environmental monitoring in this unique region of the world.
AB - Microplastics (MPs) have become a dominant constituent of several oceanic islands. This study focuses on the occurrence and distribution of MPs present in the beach sediments of Saint Mary's Island (SMI), a geological heritage site located in the south-eastern part of the Arabian Sea. The average (standard deviation) abundance of MPs on this island was 97.18 (80.49) particles/kg. Attenuated total reflectance—Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that MPs are composed of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyamide (PA). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) highlighted the presence of Cr, As, Pb, and Cd (harmful pollutants) on MP surfaces. The MPs in the SMI are largely contributed by the nearby fishing harbour, touristic beaches and estuaries. The results of this study, act as a starting point for continuous environmental monitoring in this unique region of the world.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114043
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114043
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85135948186
SN - 0025-326X
VL - 182
JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin
JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin
M1 - 114043
ER -