54
K. Amrutha et al.
It is still not known if the wastewater treatment plants of the SAARC countries are
efficient enough to remove the microplastics of different types and sizes from the
sewage water. Some studies have related microplastic distribution with water quality
parameters [62, 105] and grain size of sediments [26]. More studies should focus on
the inflow and fate of microplastics and their relationship with the above-mentioned
parameters. Most importantly, the impact of microplastics on human health is not
known from the context of the SAARC nations.
Further, in most of the studies, after the chemical procedures, Mps are identified using a stereo-zoom microscope and validated using FTIR techniques. A few
studies have used Raman Spectroscopy for validation [118, 29, 30, 51, 80, 81, 88].
For precise mass estimation, future studies should make use of the pyrolysis GCMS technique. Most of the studies show differences in field methodology within the
same environment and laboratory analysis of microplastic particles making it difficult to compare the data. To minimize the errors, the global microplastics research
community must devise a solid sampling strategy and analytical methods that can
be used by researchers from different parts of the world and generate useful data on
microplastic pollution.
10 Conclusion
It is a well-established fact that microplastics are omnipresent and its abundance in
a particular ecosystem can have disastrous consequences on the biota. Most of the
developed nations have moved ahead by leaps and bounds to study the minute details
of the impact of microplastics on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However,
in the SAARC nations, which are one of the largest plastic-producing countries,
very little work has been made on environmental microplastic pollution. Except for
India, the other SAARC countries have done very little in this field. Even in India,
not many studies have been carried out to understand the microplastics flux rate
into the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. There is no information on the vertical
migration of microplastics in the soil, sediment, and water and how microplastics
behave under changing salinity conditions in tropical estuaries. Besides, microplastic
distribution in the atmosphere is a largely unexplored area of research which needs to
be taken up immediately. This is because the SAARC nations experience severe air
pollution in different cities and microplastics like fibres are known to remain largely
in suspension in the air column for a significantly long time. The need of the hour
is for researchers from the SAARC nations should come forward and join hands to
plan scientific investigations on the different microplastic issues discussed above.
Conduct proper surveys in the different environmental samples (marine, lake, beach,
river, air, biota), so that microplastic pollution in each of them can be quantified.
The high-resolution data can then be used by policy decision makers to come out
with suitable legislation measures that can protect our environment. A citizen-centric
science project should be taken up so that citizens can also be made to act responsibly
K. Amrutha et al.
It is still not known if the wastewater treatment plants of the SAARC countries are
efficient enough to remove the microplastics of different types and sizes from the
sewage water. Some studies have related microplastic distribution with water quality
parameters [62, 105] and grain size of sediments [26]. More studies should focus on
the inflow and fate of microplastics and their relationship with the above-mentioned
parameters. Most importantly, the impact of microplastics on human health is not
known from the context of the SAARC nations.
Further, in most of the studies, after the chemical procedures, Mps are identified using a stereo-zoom microscope and validated using FTIR techniques. A few
studies have used Raman Spectroscopy for validation [118, 29, 30, 51, 80, 81, 88].
For precise mass estimation, future studies should make use of the pyrolysis GCMS technique. Most of the studies show differences in field methodology within the
same environment and laboratory analysis of microplastic particles making it difficult to compare the data. To minimize the errors, the global microplastics research
community must devise a solid sampling strategy and analytical methods that can
be used by researchers from different parts of the world and generate useful data on
microplastic pollution.
10 Conclusion
It is a well-established fact that microplastics are omnipresent and its abundance in
a particular ecosystem can have disastrous consequences on the biota. Most of the
developed nations have moved ahead by leaps and bounds to study the minute details
of the impact of microplastics on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. However,
in the SAARC nations, which are one of the largest plastic-producing countries,
very little work has been made on environmental microplastic pollution. Except for
India, the other SAARC countries have done very little in this field. Even in India,
not many studies have been carried out to understand the microplastics flux rate
into the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. There is no information on the vertical
migration of microplastics in the soil, sediment, and water and how microplastics
behave under changing salinity conditions in tropical estuaries. Besides, microplastic
distribution in the atmosphere is a largely unexplored area of research which needs to
be taken up immediately. This is because the SAARC nations experience severe air
pollution in different cities and microplastics like fibres are known to remain largely
in suspension in the air column for a significantly long time. The need of the hour
is for researchers from the SAARC nations should come forward and join hands to
plan scientific investigations on the different microplastic issues discussed above.
Conduct proper surveys in the different environmental samples (marine, lake, beach,
river, air, biota), so that microplastic pollution in each of them can be quantified.
The high-resolution data can then be used by policy decision makers to come out
with suitable legislation measures that can protect our environment. A citizen-centric
science project should be taken up so that citizens can also be made to act responsibly