Current State of Microplastics Research …
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Table 3
A summary of the research work carried out on microplastics in different environmental settings of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and
Nepal
Sl.
no
Location
Type of
sample
Environmen-tal
setting
Methodology
adopted
Size range
(mm)
Average microplastics
concentration
Polymer
types
Reporting
units
References
M1 Maldives
Sediments Marine
Stereomicroscope
with digital
camera,
ATR-FTIR
spectrometer
1–5 mm
>5 mm
Long term accumulation:
1029
± 1134 plastic
particles/m 2
daily
accumulation: 35.8
±
42.5 plastic particles/m 2
PE, PP,
PS, PVC,
PU,
Polyvinyl
Alcohol
Plastic
particles/m 2
[47]
SL1 Sri Lanka
Water
beach
sediments
Beach
ATR-FTIR, raman
spectroscopy
1.5–2.5 mm
and 3–4.5 mm
20 m distance: 42.1
items/m 2
10 m distance: 96.6
items/m 2
PE, PP,
PS
Items/m 2
[65]
M2 Maldives
Sediments
water
Marine
Stereomicroscope,
ATR-FTIR,
spotlight 200i
FTIR microscopy
system
>5 mm
1–5 mm
Water: 0.32
± 0.15
particles/m 3
Sediments: 22.8
± 10.5
particles/m 2
PE, PP,
PS, PET,
PA, PVC
Particles/m 3
Particles/m 2
[103]
B1 Northern
Bay of
Bengal
Fish
Marine
Microscope with
digital camera,
µ-FTIR
<500
µm
500
µm–1 mm
1–5 mm
3.20–8.72 item/species
PET, PA Item/species [46]
M3 Maldives
Coral reefs Marine
Stereoscopic
microscope,
infrared
Spectroscopy
<5 mm
Inside: 0.46
± 0.15
items/m3
Outside: 0.12
± 0.09
items/m3
PE, PP,
PA, PS,
PU
Items/m3
[104]
(continued)