32
K. Amrutha et al.
Fig. 2 Total number of publications pertaining to microplastics published by researchers from the
SAARC nations. A significant rise is seen between 2018 and 2020 with India leading the research
on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
that is generated in the last two years justified by the number of peer-reviewed publications (Fig. 2, Tables 2 and 3). In the following section, we discuss the occurrence,
distribution, and the ultimate fate of microplastics in the different environments
(Fig. 3) of the SAARC nations.
3 India
3.1 Coastal Environment
The global plastic production is exponentially increasing on an annual basis. In 2015,
the global plastic production exceeded 320 million tonnes [101]. These materials will
persist in nature for a very long period and will ultimately reach the oceans through
various pathways including different water bodies, surface runoff, wind transportation, and atmospheric deposition [74]. A study conducted on plastic pollution in a
water channel in the South Juhu creek, Mumbai, suggested that a significant amount
of plastic wastes is being carried from terrestrial environments to the seas/oceans
through connected water channels [75]. Plastics from these sources undergo various
processes, including beaching, drifting, and settling before they reach temporary
reservoirs on coastal environments [140]. Coastlines act as a significant temporary/permanent reservoir for the accumulation of plastics released to sea/oceans
K. Amrutha et al.
Fig. 2 Total number of publications pertaining to microplastics published by researchers from the
SAARC nations. A significant rise is seen between 2018 and 2020 with India leading the research
on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
that is generated in the last two years justified by the number of peer-reviewed publications (Fig. 2, Tables 2 and 3). In the following section, we discuss the occurrence,
distribution, and the ultimate fate of microplastics in the different environments
(Fig. 3) of the SAARC nations.
3 India
3.1 Coastal Environment
The global plastic production is exponentially increasing on an annual basis. In 2015,
the global plastic production exceeded 320 million tonnes [101]. These materials will
persist in nature for a very long period and will ultimately reach the oceans through
various pathways including different water bodies, surface runoff, wind transportation, and atmospheric deposition [74]. A study conducted on plastic pollution in a
water channel in the South Juhu creek, Mumbai, suggested that a significant amount
of plastic wastes is being carried from terrestrial environments to the seas/oceans
through connected water channels [75]. Plastics from these sources undergo various
processes, including beaching, drifting, and settling before they reach temporary
reservoirs on coastal environments [140]. Coastlines act as a significant temporary/permanent reservoir for the accumulation of plastics released to sea/oceans