Plastic waste is exposed to several environmental elements, breaking it down into microplastics and nanoplastics
The presence of microplastics in the Jhelum river was noted by a recent study by researchers of the National Institute of Technology Srinagar. Photo: iStock Correction: The study on microplastics in Jhelum river was co-author Muneeb Farooq. An earlier version of the story had the wrong name. The error is regretted.
The theme for World Environment Day 2023 is “beating the plastic pollution” and the entire world is deliberating ways of dealing with plastic pollution. Plastic litter is accumulating in our waterbodies in the form of microplastics and nanoplastics. A recent example is scientists finding microplastics in the Jhelum river in Kashmir.
Plastics continue to be ubiquitous around us due to their widespread application, durability, flexibility and low cost. It also causes enormous amounts of litter even in remote and ecologically rich and pristine ecosystems.
The linear economy model of development, based on take-make-dispose, is responsible for the litter in the oceans and land.
Read more: Microplastics detected in human blood for the very first time
Once disposed of, plastic waste is exposed to several physical, chemical and biological elements of the environment, such as degradation, physical abrasion, weathering, fire and chemical oxidation.
It breaks down into huge amounts of microplastics (measuring less than 5 millimetres) and nanoplastics (less than 0.1 micrometres or μm).
Plastic in the microplastic size range (< 5 mm) is emerging as an environmental pollutant, which is bio-accumulative. Due to their minute size, microplastics are ingested by the riverine fauna (organisms in rivers) and marine species once it reaches the marine ecosystems.
Until recently, microplastics have not received adequate attention in plastic pollution monitoring by scientific communities and policymakers. However, in the last few years, microplastics have been reported from various ecosystems, including lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, mountains and oceans worldwide.
Entry routes of microplastic in human body through food chain and possible health effects of microplastic on human population. Source: Microplastic pollution in the Himalayas: Occurrence, distribution, accumulation and environmental impacts
In India, recent research has shown clear evidence of microplastic accumulation in the Himalayan mountains and adjoining ecosystems, rivers and major rivers such as the Indus, Brahmaputra and Ganga.
Minute particles of plastics originating from different land-based sources can travel long distances through atmospheric transport and can pollute rivers such as the Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, Alaknanda, and Kosi.
Read more: How do microplastics end up in babies' poop?
A significant amount of microplastic (1-3 billion pieces) is estimated to be discharged into the Bay of Bengal on a daily basis, found a study published in the international journal Environmental Pollution in 2021. Microplastic concentration increased from source to sea, it found.
The presence of microplastics in the sediments of the Brahmaputra and Indus rivers was reported by another study published in the journal Science of Total Environment.
Microplastics in size range of 20-150 μm were more abundant (531-3,485 microplastics [MP] per kilogramme in the Brahmaputra and 525-1,752 MP/kg in the Indus) than microplastics between 150 μm and 5 mm in size (20-240 MP/kg in the Brahmaputra and 60–340 MP/kg in the Indus).
The presence of microplastics in the Jhelum river was noted by a recent study by researchers of the National Institute of Technology Srinagar.
Quantitative analysis of the study reported a microplastic concentration of 1,474 with an error margin of 1,026 particles per cubic metre for the entire stretch of the river. All the sampling sites studied in the research confirmed the presence of microplastics with a concentration ranging from 600 particles/m3 to 2,500 particles/m3.
Nearly 34 per cent of the microplastics ranged between 300 μm to 75 μm, while 66 per cent of the particles varied between 300 μm to 5 mm in size, the study reported.
“The unscientific municipal solid waste disposal sites are the potential source of microplastic pollution along the Jhelum River. In our study, the Northwestern Himalayan region of India was investigated for studying microplastic leakage into the Jhelum river and the results are alarming,” said Muneeb Farooq, co-author of the NIT Srinagar study.
It is important to note that Srinagar currently has one dumping site called Achan dumpsite. The 37-year-old dumpsite is not constructed and operated sustainably and is receiving around 400-500 tonnes of waste generated in the city daily.
Read more: Scientist discover bacteria that can clean plastic pollution from lakes
In the peri-urban and rural areas, the collection efficiency is low and the waste produced eventually ends up on the banks of the Jhelum.
Until 1983, Achan was a flourishing wetland ecosystem and home to numerous species of birds close to the second-largest lake in Kashmir — the Anchar lake. The then-Governor ordered landfilling of the wetland and converting it into a waste dumping site.
The rich and pristine ecosystem in J&K, especially the fresh waterbodies, is critical for harbouring rich diversity of macrophytes, phytoplankton, zooplankton and macrofauna. They also promote the local economy and socioeconomic development.
As a result, land-based pollution and potential sources of microplastics need to be addressed urgently.
Not just Srinagar, as per Swachh Bharat Mission Urban dashboard, J&K has around 11 dumpsites covering an area of 353 acres. The landfills have 1.9 million tonnes of legacy waste thatneeds to be remediated. As of today, only 12 per cent of the total legacy waste lying in J&K has been treated.
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