Distribution of Microplastics and Their Effect on the Microalgae Population in the Inshore Waters of the Bay of Bengal

• Shamala Ulaganathan ^[1] ; Merline Sheela Appavoo ^[1] ; Gr Sr. ^[1]
  1. [1] Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• Localización: Thalassas: An international journal of marine sciences, ISSN 0212-5919, Vol. 39, Nº. 2 (October 2023), 2023, págs. 547-561
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between microplastic pollution and the microalgal population in the Bay of Bengal near Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The microplastic contents and the number of microalgal cells in the surface water samples collected during November 2020 from the study areas were analyzed. The samples were collected using glass bottles. Microplastics in the form of fibers were predominant in the study area. Among the sampling locations, Besant Nagar harbored the highest fiber content of 122 nos /L samples. The percent distribution of fibers in Marina, Besant Nagar, and Kasimedu was 35%, 46%, and 34% respectively. The microplastics in fiber form were confirmed as nylon and fragments were confirmed as polyethylene, PET, and polypropylene types. The chlorophyll contents of the samples of Besant Nagar were found to be more when compared to Marina and Kasimedu. The chlorophyll a,b, and c contents of the samples of Besant Nagar were 23 ± 1.2, 10.54 ± 1.0, and 13.04 ± 0.06 µg/L, respectively. The results of the study indicated that fishing activity, river inputs, and tourism play an important role in microplastic pollution in the marine environment. The Pearson coefficient (r) value for microplastic content and the microalgal population was − 0.56, -0.20, and − 0.28 for Kasimedu, Marina, and Besant Nagar respectively.