The Microplastics: Their Occurrence and Impacts in India—A Review

Abstract

Plastics are commonly occurring in the marine environments. The presence of microplastics in most habitats in the open ocean, seas, beaches, surface waters, the water column and in Deep Ocean is recently reported in freshwater systems. The present review mainly focussed on the microplastics distribution and its impacts in India with special reference to plastic pollution in Indian Ocean and major nine coastal states of India. In India, microplastics pollution research along the Indian coastline and its impacts on the marine living organisms is poorly studied. Very few studies along the beaches of Indian coast have been carried out on the distribution pattern of microplastics. The occurrence of plastics in Indian Ocean and the potential impacts to the marine organisms are growing concerns. In India, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have conducted the awareness programmes for the plastic usage and control measures for better way to use recycle or degrade the plastic material and otherwise use clothes materials for different needful purposes. The existing knowledge about the plastic pollution and its impacts have created the awareness for industrialists, consumers and policy makers to develop the significant technological policy solutions to replace the plastics.