Distribution of microplastics in the catchment region of Pallikaranai marshland, a Ramsar site in Chennai, India

Microplastics are persistent toxic pollutants, detected in different environmental compartments. Numerous studies on the characteristics and distribution of microplastics present in different environmental matrices are being carried out. However, limited studies have been performed in environmental systems like eco-sensitive freshwater marshlands. Therefore, to enrich the existing knowledge and understanding, this current study has analysed the distribution and characteristics of microplastics present in the catchment region of Pallikaranai marshland, Chennai, India. Both surface water and sediment samples were contaminated with microplastics in the range of 740–2826 items/m3and 700 to 5833 items/kg of dry sediment, respectively. Compared to other shapes, fibrous microplastics were predominant in most of the surface water (n = 11) and sediment (n = 8) samples. The abundant presence of smaller microplastics (<1 mm) in the surface water suggests elevated impacts on the aquatic species owing to their higher bioavailability. Elevated anthropogenic activities and frequent movement of people in urban and residential areas were noted to possibly influence the spatial distribution of microplastics. Furthermore, heavy metals’ occurrence on microplastics was investigated using X-Ray Fluorescence Analyser (XRF) and Zn, Fe, Ti, and Ni are the commonly detected (>50% of the samples) elements. The estimated average pollution load index of 2.5 indicates the polluted state of Pallikaranai catchment region.