Micro-plastic pollution along the Bay of Bengal coastal stretch of Tamil Nadu, South India

In the present-day context, micro-plastic particles in a marine environment are increasingly ubiquitous and of considerable persistence. line with pollution, present contribution is devoted to investigation (MPs) along urban sandy beach called Marina, renowned longest India. Along sea coast about 5 km, quantification using optical microscope evidenced granular, filamentous, filmy tubular fragments total 72 samples including those filtered water column (WAT; 24 samples), found wet sediment (WET; samples) dry sand (DSS; samples). The filamentous-typed plastics 79%, 57% 52%, respectively WET, WAT DSS dominated over other granular types. were range 60–820 items per m3, 60–1620 kg 20–1540 for WAT, WET DSS, respectively. standard deviation microplastics abundance 193.1, 396.6 364.6 Upon visual inspection, micro observed eight different colors most contain two fragment Apart from microscopic examination, micro-plastics studied by scanning electron (SEM) coupled elemental analysis energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). spectral graphs displayed that micro-filaments micro-tubular contained polyesters fluoro-polymers. presence few polypropylene polyethylene was also their atomic percentage values carbon 88% 93%, fluoro-polymers confirmed Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR). Excepting fluoro-polymers, elements arising (Na, Cl, S, Mg, Ca, K). Heavy metals such as Cu, Mn, Mo, Ru Rh fragments. Fe Ti detected highest 17.19 19.84 All observations analyses give photography nature spatial distribution MPs this Indian beach.