Abstract
Microplastics have become a serious concern in the contemporary world due to their widespread and hazardous nature. This study investigates microplastic distribution in one of the largest brackish water lagoons in the world (Chilika Lake, India) to bridge the knowledge gap in a transitional environment. Sediment and water samples were investigated to estimate microplastic count and were categorized based on their shape, color, size, and polymer type. The overall abundance of microplastic in sediment and water sample from Chilika Lake varied from 25.2 ± 9.8 items/kg to 7 ± 2.2 items/kg and 110.7 ± 35.6 items/100L to 26 ± 8.1 items/100L, respectively. Anthropogenic activities such as extensive fishing activities and tourism were attributed to be the major source of microplastic besides upstream loads through inflowing rivers. Fragments and foams were the most commonly occurring microplastic shapes in sediment and water samples, respectively. Sediment samples were found to be highly abundant in microplastic particle size <1 mm. Water samples were dominated by white-color foams in 2–5 mm size range of microplastics. Ten different types of microplastic polymers were identified, of which polypropylene and polystyrene were the most dominant microplastic in sediment and water samples. Microplastic morphology showed surface features that can be attributed to their weathering. The study provides baseline information on microplastics in Chilika Lake to develop an insight into the associated environmental and health risks.
Graphical abstract
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
References
Abidli, S., Toumi, H., Lahbib, Y., & Trigui El Menif, N. (2017). The first evaluation of microplastics in sediments from the complex lagoon-channel of bizerte (Northern Tunisia). Water Air Soil Pollution, 228, 262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3439-9
Acharya, P., Muduli, P. R., Mishra, D. R., Kumar, A., Kanuri, V. V., & Das, M. (2022). Imprints of COVID-19 lockdowns on total petroleum hydrocarbon levels in Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 174, 113137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113137
An, L., Liu, Q., Deng, Y., Wu, W., Gao, Y., & Ling, W. (2020). Sources of microplastic in the environment. In D. He & Y. Luo (Eds.), Microplastics in terrestrial environments: emerging contaminants and major challenges (pp. 143–159). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2020_449
Andrady, A. L. (2011). Microplastics in the marine environment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 62, 1596–1605.
Bergmann, M., Collard, F., Fabres, J., Gabrielsen, G. W., Provencher, J. F., Rochman, C. M., van Sebille, E., & Tekman, M. B. (2022). Plastic pollution in the Arctic. Nature Reviews Earth Environment, 3, 323–337. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00279-8
Bhagat, J., Nishimura, N., & Shimada, Y. (2021). Toxicological interactions of microplastics/nanoplastics and environmental contaminants: current knowledge and future perspectives. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 405, 123913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123913
Bharath, K., Natesan, U., Ayyamperumal, R., Kalam, N., Anbalagan, S., Sujatha, K., & Alagarasan, C. (2021). Microplastics as an emerging threat to the freshwater ecosystems of Veeranam lake in south India: a multidimensional approach. Chemosphere, 264, 128502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128502
Blettler, M. C. M., Abrial, E., Khan, F. R., Sivri, N., & Espinola, L. A. (2018). Freshwater plastic pollution: recognizing research biases and identifying knowledge gaps. Water Research, 143, 416–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.06.015
Cadiou, J.-F., Gerigny, O., Koren, Š., Zeri, C., Kaberi, H., Alomar, C., Panti, C., Fossi, M. C., Adamopoulou, A., Digka, N., Deudero, S., Concato, M., Carbonell, A., Baini, M., Galli, M., & Galgani, F. (2020). Lessons learned from an intercalibration exercise on the quantification and characterisation of microplastic particles in sediment and water samples. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 154, 111097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111097
Carpenter, E. J., & Smith, K. L. (1972). Plastics on the Sargasso sea surface. Science, 1979(175), 1240–1241. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.175.4027.1240
Conley, K., Clum, A., Deepe, J., Lane, H., & Beckingham, B. (2019). Wastewater treatment plants as a source of microplastics to an urban estuary: removal efficiencies and loading per capita over one year. Water Research, 3, 100030. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wroa.2019.100030
Coppock, R. L., Cole, M., Lindeque, P. K., Queirós, A. M., & Galloway, T. S. (2017). A small-scale, portable method for extracting microplastics from marine sediments. Environmental Pollution, 230, 829–837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2017.07.017
CPCB, 2021. CPCB Central Pollution Control Board [WWW Document]. URL https://cpcb.nic.in/status-of-implementation-of-solid-waste-rules/ (accessed 12.9.22).
Dusaucy, J., Gateuille, D., Perrette, Y., & Naffrechoux, E. (2021). Microplastic pollution of worldwide lakes. Environmental Pollution, 284, 117075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117075
Dutta, S., Sethulekshmi, S., & Shriwastav, A. (2022). Abundance, morphology, and spatio-temporal variation of microplastics at the beaches of Mumbai. IRegional Studies in Marine Science, 56, 102722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2022.102722
Erni-Cassola, G., Wright, R. J., Gibson, M. I., & Christie-Oleza, J. A. (2020). Early colonization of weathered polyethylene by distinct bacteria in marine coastal seawater. Microbial Ecology, 79, 517–526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-019-01424-5
Fauvelle, V., Garel, M., Tamburini, C., Nerini, D., Castro-Jiménez, J., Schmidt, N., Paluselli, A., Fahs, A., Papillon, L., Booth, A. M., & Sempéré, R. (2021). Organic additive release from plastic to seawater is lower under deep-sea conditions. Nature Communications, 12, 4426. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24738-w
Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Espinosa, L. F., Costa Muniz, M., Salles Pereira, L. B., & Meigikos dos Anjos, R. (2021). Abundance, distribution, and characteristics of microplastics in coastal surface waters of the Colombian Caribbean and Pacific. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 43431–43442. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13723-x
Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Saldarriaga-Vélez, J. F., Espinosa-Díaz, L. F., Canals, M., Sánchez-Vidal, A., & Thiel, M. (2022). A systematic review on microplastic pollution in water, sediments, and organisms from 50 coastal lagoons across the globe. Environmental Pollution, 315, 120366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120366
Garcés-Ordóñez, O., Saldarriaga-Vélez, J. F., Espinosa-Díaz, L. F., Patiño, A. D., Cusba, J., Canals, M., Mejía-Esquivia, K., Fragozo-Velásquez, L., Sáenz-Arias, S., Córdoba-Meza, T., & Thiel, M. (2022). Microplastic pollution in water, sediments and commercial fish species from Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta lagoon complex, Colombian Caribbean. Science of The Total Environment, 829, 154643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154643
Gopinath, K., Seshachalam, S., Neelavannan, K., Anburaj, V., Rachel, M., Ravi, S., Bharath, M., & Achyuthan, H. (2020). Quantification of microplastic in Red Hills Lake of Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 33297–33306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09622-2
Gurjar, U. R., Xavier, K. A. M., Shukla, S. P., Jaiswar, A. K., Deshmukhe, G., & Nayak, B. B. (2022). Microplastic pollution in coastal ecosystem off Mumbai coast India. Chemosphere, 288, 132484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132484
Hahladakis, J. N. (2020). Delineating the global plastic marine litter challenge: clarifying the misconceptions. Environmental Monitoring Assessment, 192, 267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8202-9
Haque, M. R., Ali, M. M., Ahmed, W., Siddique, M. A. B., Akbor, M. A., Islam, M. S., & Rahman, M. M. (2023). Assessment of microplastics pollution in aquatic species (fish, crab, and snail), water, and sediment from the Buriganga River, Bangladesh: an ecological risk appraisals. Science of The Total Environment, 857, 159344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159344
He, D., Chen, X., Zhao, W., Zhu, Z., Qi, X., Zhou, L., Chen, W., Wan, C., Li, D., Zou, X., & Wu, N. (2021). Microplastics contamination in the surface water of the Yangtze River from upstream to estuary based on different sampling methods. Environmental Research, 196, 110908. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.110908
Jessieleena, A. A., & Nambi, I. M. (2023). Distribution of microplastics in the catchment region of Pallikaranai marshland, a Ramsar site in Chennai India. Environmental Pollution, 318, 120890. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120890
Joshy, A., Krupesha Sharma, S. R., Mini, K. G. (2022). Microplastic contamination in commercially important bivalves from the southwest coast of India. Environmental Pollution, 305, 119250.
Koop, S. H. A., & van Leeuwen, C. J. (2017). The challenges of water, waste and climate change in cities. Environment Development Sustainability, 19, 385–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-016-9760-4
Koutnik, V. S., Leonard, J., Alkidim, S., DePrima, F. J., Ravi, S., Hoek, E. M., & Mohanty, S. K. (2021). Distribution of microplastics in soil and freshwater environments: global analysis and framework for transport modeling. Environmental Pollution, 274, 116552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116552
Lan, T. (2022). Contaminant release from aged microplastic. In T. Rocha-Santos, M. F. Costa, & C. Mouneyrac (Eds.), Handbook of microplastics in the environment (pp. 543–562). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39041-9_11
Leite, A. S., Santos, L. L., Costa, Y., & Hatje, V. (2014). Influence of proximity to an urban center in the pattern of contamination by marine debris. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 81, 242–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.01.032
Lithner, D., Larsson, Å., & Dave, G. (2011). Environmental and health hazard ranking and assessment of plastic polymers based on chemical composition. Science of The Total Environment, 409, 3309–3324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.04.038
Liu, P., Zhan, X., Wu, X., Li, J., Wang, H., & Gao, S. (2020). Effect of weathering on environmental behavior of microplastics: properties, sorption and potential risks. Chemosphere, 242, 125193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125193
Lusher, A., Hollman, P., & Mendoza, J. (2017). Microplastics in fisheries and aquaculture: status of knowledge on their occurrence and implications for aquatic organisms and food safety. FAO.
Manimozhi, N., Rani, V., Sudhan, C., Manimekalai, D., Shalini, R., & Abarna, K. M. (2022). Spatiotemporal occurrence, distribution, and characterization of microplastics in salt pans of the coastal region of the Gulf of Mannar, southeast coast of India. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 53, 102350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2022.102350
Nayal, R., & Suthar, S. (2022). First report on microplastics in tributaries of the upper Ganga River along Dehradun, India: quantitative estimation and characterizations. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 8, 100190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100190
Neelavannan, K., Sen, I. S., Lone, A. M., & Gopinath, K. (2022). Microplastics in the high-altitude Himalayas: assessment of microplastic contamination in freshwater lake sediments, Northwest Himalaya (India). Chemosphere, 290, 133354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.133354
OrissaPOST, 2018. Plastic poses threat to Chilika lagoon environment-OrissaPOST [WWW Document]. URL https://www.orissapost.com/plastic-poses-threat-to-chilika-lagoon-environment/ (accessed 12.11.22).
Pastorino, P., Prearo, M., Pizzul, E., Elia, A. C., Renzi, M., Ginebreda, A., & Barceló, D. (2022). High-mountain lakes as indicators of microplastic pollution: current and future perspectives. Water Emerging Contaminants and Nanoplastics, 1, 3.
Patchaiyappan, A., ZakiAhmed, S., Dowarah, K., Khadanga, S. S., Singh, T., Jayakumar, S., Thirunavukkarasu, C., & Devipriya, S. P. (2021). Prevalence of microplastics in the sediments of Odisha beaches, southeastern coast of India. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 167, 112265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112265
Pfohl, P., Roth, C., Meyer, L., Heinemeyer, U., Gruendling, T., Lang, C., Nestle, N., Hofmann, T., Wohlleben, W., & Jessl, S. (2021). Microplastic extraction protocols can impact the polymer structure. Microplastics and Nanoplastics, 1, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-021-00009-9
Rabari, V., Patel, K., Patel, H., & Trivedi, J. (2022). Quantitative assessment of microplastic in sandy beaches of Gujarat state India. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 181, 113925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113925
Razeghi, N., Hamidian, A. H., Wu, C., Zhang, Y., & Yang, M. (2021). Microplastic sampling techniques in freshwaters and sediments: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 19, 4225–4252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-021-01227-6
Sahu, B., Pati, P., & Panigrahy, R. (2013). Plastic litters: a major environmental issue in Chilika lagoon. Current Science, 104, 1133–1134.
Sambandam, M., Dhineka, K., Sivadas, S. K., Kaviarasan, T., Begum, M., Hoehn, D., Sivyer, D., Mishra, P., & Murthy, M. V. R. (2022). Occurrence, characterization, and source delineation of microplastics in the coastal waters and shelf sediments of the central east coast of India Bay of Bengal. Chemosphere, 303, 135135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135135
Sarkar, D. J., Sarkar, S. D., Das, B. K., Manna, R. K., Behera, B. K., & Samanta, S. (2019). Spatial distribution of meso and microplastics in the sediments of river Ganga at eastern India. Science of The Total Environment, 694, 133712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133712
Searle, N. D. (2003). Environmental effects on polymeric materials. Plastics and the Environment, 311–358. https://doi.org/10.1002/0471721557.ch8
Simon-Sánchez, L., Grelaud, M., Garcia-Orellana, J., & Ziveri, P. (2019). River Deltas as hotspots of microplastic accumulation: the case study of the Ebro River (NW Mediterranean). Science of The Total Environment, 687, 1186–1196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.168
Singh, N., Khandelwal, N., Tiwari, E., Naskar, N., Lahiri, S., Lützenkirchen, J., & Darbha, G. K. (2020). Interaction of metal oxide nanoparticles with microplastics: impact of weathering under riverine conditions. Water Research, 116622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116622
Singh, N., Mondal, A., Bagri, A., Tiwari, E., Khandelwal, N., Monikh, F. A., Darbha, G. K. (2021a). Characteristics and spatial distribution of microplastics in the lower Ganga River water and sediment. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 163, 111960.
Singh, N., Bhagat, J., Tiwari, E., Khandelwal, N., Darbha, G. K., & Shyama, S. K. (2021b). Metal oxide nanoparticles and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons alter nanoplastic’s stability and toxicity to zebrafish. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 407, 124382.
Singh, S., & Bhagwat, A. (2022). Microplastics: a potential threat to groundwater resources. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 19, 100852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2022.100852
Singh, N., Abdullah, M. M., Ma, X., & Sharma, V. K. (2023). Microplastics and nanoplastics in the soil-plant nexus: sources, uptake, and toxicity. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 53, 1613–1642. https://doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2023.2196230
Sruthy, S., & Ramasamy, E. (2017). Microplastic pollution in Vembanad Lake, Kerala, India: the first report of microplastics in lake and estuarine sediments in India. Environmental Pollution, 222, 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.12.038
Thompson, R. C., Olsen, Y., Mitchell, R. P., Davis, A., Rowland, S. J., John, A. W. G., McGonigle, D., & Russell, A. E. (2004). Lost at sea: where is all the plastic? Science, 1979, 304–838. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1094559
Tiseo, I., 2022. Plastic production worldwide 2020 |Statista [WWW Document]. URL https://www.statista.com/statistics/282732/global-production-of-plastics-since-1950/ (accessed 12.5.22).
Tsering, T., Sillanpää, M., Viitala, M., & Reinikainen, S.-P. (2022). Variation of microplastics in the shore sediment of high-altitude lakes of the Indian Himalaya using different pretreatment methods. Science of The Total Environment, 849, 157870. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157870
Tsering, T., Sillanpää, M., Sillanpää, M., Viitala, M., & Reinikainen, S.-P. (2021). Microplastics pollution in the Brahmaputra River and the Indus River of the Indian Himalaya. Science of The Total Environment, 789, 147968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147968
Warrier, A. K., Kulkarni, B., Amrutha, K., Jayaram, D., Valsan, G., & Agarwal, P. (2022). Seasonal variations in the abundance and distribution of microplastic particles in the surface waters of a Southern Indian Lake. Chemosphere, 300, 134556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134556
Wright, S. L., Rowe, D., Thompson, R. C., & Galloway, T. S. (2013). Microplastic ingestion decreases energy reserves in marine worms. Current Biology, 23, R1031–R1033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.10.068
Xanthos, D., & Walker, T. R. (2017). International policies to reduce plastic marine pollution from single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads): a review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 118, 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.048
Yang, S., Zhou, M., Chen, X., Hu, L., Xu, Y., Fu, W., & Li, C. (2022). A comparative review of microplastics in lake systems from different countries and regions. Chemosphere, 286, 131806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131806
Yin, L., Du, L., Wen, X., Huang, D., Xiao, R., Wang, Z., Su, H., Huang, J., Wang, G., Tao, J., & Kang, Y. (2023). Occurrence and effects of microplastics in lake ecosystems: particular focus on migration in water and food chains. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 261, 11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44169-023-00036-y
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to Prof. Chilla Malla Reddy and Prof. Punyasloke Bhadury for providing a stereo-microscope and van Veen grab. We acknowledge the infrastructural support by the Central Instrumental Facility (IISER-K) for SEM analysis. Nisha Singh is grateful to IISER Kolkata funding and JAMSTEC Young Researcher Fellowship. The authors also acknowledge the financial support of SERB-CRG grant (CRG/2021/ 006020).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Nisha Singh: writing— original draft, conceptualization, sampling, data curation, investigation, writing — review and editing. Arijit Mondal: sampling, data curation, investigating. Gopala Krishna Darbha: writing — review and editing, resources, supervision, funding acquisition.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Highlights
• Microplastics were detected in water and sediment samples of Chilika Lake.
• 14.9 ±6.5 items/kg and 56.7 ±28.2 items/100L of average microplastic were recorded in sediment and water samples, respectively.
• Microplastic abundance near areas with anthropogenic activity was high.
• The microplastic surface showed signs of weathering due to environmental factors.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Singh, N., Mondal, A., Abhinav, G. et al. Microplastics in Indian Brackish Water Lagoon: Occurrence and Distribution in the Chilika Lake. Water Air Soil Pollut 234, 614 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06627-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06627-8