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The prevalence of microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) in natural environments presents a formidable global environmental threat MPs can be found from the Arctic to Antarctica, including glaciers. Despite their widespread distribution, studies on MP accumulation in apex predators inhabiting Polar Regions remain limited. The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive examination, for the first time, of MP bioaccumulation in various organs and tissue of Adélie penguins. This investigation comprehends the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), scat, internal organ (lung, trachea, spleen, and liver) and tissue (muscle) samples collected from Svenner Island, Antarctica during the 39th Indian expedition to Antarctica in 2019-2020. Our analyses revealed the presence of 34 MPs across the GIT, scat, lung, and trachea samples, with no MPs detected in muscle, spleen, or liver tissues. Blue-colored microfibers (>50 %) and MPs smaller than 1 mm (38 %) in size were prominently observed. Polymer characterization utilizing μ-FTIR spectroscopy identified low-density polyethylene (LDPE) (~63 %) as the predominant polymer type. The accumulation of MP fibers in the gastrointestinal tract and scat of Adélie penguins may originate from marine ambient media and prey organisms. Furthermore, the presence of LDPE fibers in the trachea and lungs likely occurred through inhalation and subsequent deposition of MPs originating from both local and long-range airborne sources. The identification of fibers ranging between 20 and 100 μm within the trachea suggests a plausible chance of cellular deposition of MPs. Overall our findings provide valuable insights into the organ-specific accumulation of MPs in apex predators. Adélie penguins emerge as promising environmental bio-monitoring species, offering insights into the potential trophic transfer of MPs within frigid environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

There have been growing apprehensions and concerns regarding the increasing presence of plastic pollutants in the holiest river of India, the Ganga, and its major tributary, Yamuna. In response to this issue, the current study aimed to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the seasonal and spatial distribution of macro to microplastics (MPs) in the surface water, water column, and sediments from the River Ganga and Yamuna. MP samples were collected from various points of these Rivers, including upstream, downstream, and drainage points around the vicinity of Haridwar, Agra, Prayagraj, and Patna cities. With a significant seasonal variation, the estimated MPs and plastic flux were higher during the wet season than during the dry season. MPs sized 300 µm-1 mm and fibre-shaped blue and black colored MPs were pre-dominant in both rivers. Polyacrylamide, polyamide, and polyvinyl chloride were the most ascertained polymers. MPs including hazardous polymers (hazard score >1000) may pose a risk to the population of Indo-Gangetic Plain via direct and indirect exposure to MPs. The information provided in this study could serve as a starting point for the action plan required by municipal corporations to mitigate plastic pollution and target the possible sources at each location., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Owing to their pervasive dispersion in the environment and their potential ramifications on both marine life and human health, microplastics (MPs) are of increasing concern. However, there is still a lack of research on the release of MPs from different land-based pathways like creeks, drainage outfalls, and conduits into coastal water systems in India. This study represents comprehensive research into the attribution of MPs in the estuarine system, specifically those emanating from wastewater sources in Panjim City, Goa, India. Urban wastewater collected from different locations in and around Panjim City exhibited values ranging from 79 ± 21 to 338 ± 7 MPs/L, with a prevalence of fibrous and black MP particles. The size range of the MPs at all sampling sites was 100-300 μm. Analysis by μ-FTIR revealed 35 distinct polymeric compositions in wastewater, with a dominance of polyacrylamide (PAM), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyamide (PA). Additionally, primary and secondary MPs were studied to unravel the contributions from land-based sources. This included the quantification of MPs in ten samples from personal care products (PCPs) and twenty samples from washing machine effluents (WMEs). MPs in PCPs ranged from 1.8 to 1554 MPs/g. Microfibres and fragments were predominant in WMEs (3986 to 4898 MPs/L). This study suggests a strong relation between polymers found in wastewater effluent and those present in PCPs and WMEs. The identified polymers showed high polymer hazard indices (IV and V), posing a significant threat to the ecosystem and a potential risk to human health., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Plastic pollution is pervasive, as it has infiltrated every corner of the planet and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a depletion in the production, consumption, and disposal of plastics. To find out the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a comparative assessment of microplastics (MPs) observed before and after the pandemic was evaluated in surface water and sediment from the major rivers of Goa, i.e. Mandovi and Zuari. To comprehend the relative difference in the abundance, characteristics, and source of MPs, samples were examined in both the dry and wet seasons. We found a sharp decrease in the concentration of MPs immediately after the isolated pandemic. During the dry and wet seasons, two to seven times less concentration of MPs was recorded for water and sediments after the pandemic period compared to the prior pandemic. MPs size, >300 μm were relatively abundant after the pandemic period in contrast to the prior pandemic (<300 μm sized MPs were more). Polyamide (PA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were the dominant polymers after the pandemic whereas earlier the dominant polymers were polyacetylene, polyacrylamide (PAM), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The risk assessment of MPs in sediments (Polymer load index) was higher prior to the pandemic. The water quality parameters also indicated an improvement in the water quality during the pandemic. The present study clearly exhibited that due to the reduction of overall anthropogenic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic period, a sharp decline of plastic waste and MP abundance in the coastal water body in Goa, west coast of India was found. This study unveils the controlling factors (such as total solid waste generation, plastic waste, tourism activities, and the effect of monsoon) which influence the abundance and distribution of macro- and microplastics., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Despite the omnipresence of microplastics (MPs), the studies around the western continental shelf of Indian Ocean (Eastern Arabian Sea-EAS) are uncovered and understudied. Thus, the present study was focused to understand the spatial distribution, characterization and risk assessment of MPs in sediment across seven coastal transects (10 to 50 m) all along the EAS shelf. The highest MPs concentration (MPs/kg d.w.) was detected in the northern EAS (NEAS; 2260 ± 1050) followed by central (CEAS; 1550 ± 1012) and southern (SEAS; 1300 ± 513) shelves. Among all distinct locations, the highest concentration of MPs (2500 ± 1042) was detected in the north coastal sediments off Mumbai, followed by off Mangalore (1480 ± 1169) in the center and off Kochi (1350 ± 212) in the south. MPs were found in the form of fibres, fragments and films with a predominance of fibres (~70-80 %). Approximately 74.6 % of the total MPs were in the size range of 300 μm to 5 mm. The surface of detected MPs was rough, irregular, and mechanical weathering features such as pits, grooves also observed and spotted with bacterial community structures. Polypropylene (PP; 34 %), polyisoprene (PIP; 19 %), butyl rubber (18 %), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE; 13 %) were dominant polymers. The pollution load index highlighted minor risk while the polymer hazard index exhibited a hazard level of V. Litter discharge, fishing activities, and active marine navigation are among the many high-risk sources of plastic contamination in this region. Due to the prevailing winds, currents, low sea surface height, and high precipitation, the conditions in the EAS are favorable for the accumulation of both sea-based and land-based particles. Hence, this study provides novel insights into the potential risks posed by MP to the IO rim and associated marine ecosystem which will enhance our knowledge of the ecological implications and consequences of MP pollution, ultimately aiding in developing effective management and mitigation strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The ubiquity of microplastics (MPs) in the various environment is of increasing concern. Although micro Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (μ-FTIR) represents an ideal method for the detection of MPs, this technique lacks a standardized mode to be followed for MPs in diverse environmental matrices. The study focused on the optimization, application, and validation of μ-FTIR techniques for the identification of smaller-sized MPs (20 μm-1 mm). In order to assess the validity of the various detection modes in μ-FTIR (reflection and transmission), a confirmatory test with known standard polymers, viz., polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were executed. Subsequently, for the validation and accuracy of the method, the polymer spectra of standard polymers acquired in μ-FTIR (smaller-sized) were compared with spectra of larger-sized particles (same standards) in FTIR-ATR (Attenuated Total Reflectance). The spectra were comparable and highlighted the similar pattern of the polymeric composition. The spectral quality and matching score (>60 %) with the reference library was taken into account to accentuate the authenticity of the different methods. This study highlighted the reflection mode (particularly diffuse reflection) as more effective for the quantification of smaller-sized MPs in complex environmental samples. The same method was successfully applied to a representative environmental sample (sand), supplied by the EURO-QCHARM for inter-laboratory study. Two polymers (PE and PET) were correctly identified out of three spiked polymers (PE, PET, and PS) in the given sample. Similarly, in terms of matching algorithms, the results for diffuse reflection (PE-71.7 % and PET-89.1 %) were found satisfactory as compared to micro-ATR (PE-67 % and PET-63.2 %) reflection mode. Overall, this study illustrates an extensive perspective of different μ-FTIR techniques, recommending the most reliable, easy, and non-destructive method to unambiguously characterize diverse types of polymers of smaller MPs in complex environmental matrices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment, yet information regarding their occurrence in the food web is limited. We investigated the concentration and composition of MPs in water and diverse zooplankton groups from the Arabian Sea basin. Forty-one zooplankton tows were collected with a bongo net (330 μm mesh) from the Arabian Sea in January 2019. MPs in the surface water varied between 0 and 0.055 particles/m 3 , with a relatively higher concentration (0.013 ± 0.002 particles/m 3 ) in the central Arabian Sea. Though fibrous MPs were most abundant in the seawater (77.14 %), zooplankton prefers small fragments (55.3 %). The size of MPs was distinctly smaller (277.1 ± 46.74 μm) in zooplankton than that in seawater (864.32 ± 73.72 μm), and MPs bioaccumulation was observed in almost all the zooplankton functional groups. Polymer composition revealed polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC were abundant in water and zooplankton, suggesting that the textile, fishing, shipping, and packaging industries are significant sources. The prevailing northeasterly winds, strong West India Coastal Current, and conducive westward radiated Rossby wave during January 2019 have carried the microplastic contaminated water mass away from the coast, posing a threat to the open ocean ecosystems. These results demand further attention to investigate the state of plastic pollution in the Arabian Sea basin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In June 2016, a cruise vessel was grounded in the Mormugao Port, resulting in unnoticed oil spill. The surface water and sediment samples were collected from the vicinity of the ship, and also an oil sample from the ship (OIL). These samples were subject to petroleum biomarker such as pentacyclic triterpenes (hopanes) and compound specific carbon isotopic (δ 13 C) analyses to assess the source of hydrocarbon pollution in the Mormugao Port. While no clear trend was observed in water samples, the bottom surface sediments did show an identical pattern of hopanes with the oil. The chemometric analyses of hopane Diagnostic Ratios (DRs) and δ 13 C ratios confirmed the ship oil as the source of oil pollution in sediments. Whereas the water is comparatively more dynamic than the sediment, the physical processes arising out of winds, waves, tides and currents might have dispersed the oil away from the grounded ship., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)