- A University of Kerala study ‘Microplastic contamination in Ashtamudi Lake, India: Insights from a Ramsar wetland’ has shed light on the extent of microplastic pollution in Ashtamudi Lake, a Ramsar wetland in the Kollam district of Kerala.
- The study found microplastics in the brackish-water lake’s fish, shell fish, sediment and water.
- The highest percentage composition of microplastics was found in the macrofauna, with fish accounting for 19.6% and shell fish 40.9%.
- Microplastics are plastic fragments less than five millimetres in length.
- Detailed analysis of the samples revealed the presence of plastic polymers as well as hazardous heavy metals.
- Polymer composition of microplastics found in the guts of fish and shellfish included nylon, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, and polysiloxane.
- Hazardous heavy metals such as molybdenum, iron and barium, potentially adsorbed from the surroundings, were detected in the microplastics posing risks to aquatic organisms and human beings.
- The Ashtamudi wetland was designated a Ramsar site in 2002 considering the estuarine system’s extraordinary importance for its hydrological functions.
Dig Deeper: Read about the Montreux Record and Indian Ramsar sites listed on it.
