First record of plastiglomerates, pyroplastics and plasticrusts along the beaches of Tamilnadu, Southeast coast of India

Kannan Gunasekaran, Bilal Mghili, Gabriel Enrique De-la-Torre, Penjai Sompongchaiyakul*, Nelson Rangel-Buitrago, Xianfeng Wang, Chawalit Charoenpong

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Plastic litter affects coastal and marine ecosystems globally. This study represents the first record of pyroplastics and plasticrust in the beaches of Tamil Nadu, India. All samples were FTIR spectroscopically examined to confirm the polymer composition of the suspected plastics. The 16 plastic formations were found in TamilNadu, including six plastiglomerates nine pyroplastics and one plasticrust. Five types of polymers (PET, PP, PVC, PA, and PE) were found on the plastic matrices. The study also revealed that pyroplastics and plasticrust formed by degradation of plastics through weathering in the coastal environment. The present study also found that four types of marine fouling organisms such as oyster larvae, bryozoan, barnacle and polychaete worm were encrusted on the two pyroplastics. The emergence of these new forms of plastic raises concerns about their interactions with the environment and biota.

Original languageEnglish
Article number116594
JournalMarine Pollution Bulletin
Volume205
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2024

Keywords

  • Anthropocene
  • Burning
  • Coastal environment
  • Plastic litter
  • Plasticrusts
  • Pyroplastics

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