The major sources of ‘microplastic’ air pollution along India’s coasts are “riverine inputs” and deserted, misplaced, and discarded fishing gear, Minister Jitendra Singh stated in a written response to a question within the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (August 6, 2025).
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), by way of the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), performed area surveys along India’s shoreline between 2022 and 2025 to evaluate microplastic and marine particles ranges. Assessment of microplastics in each water and sediment has been carried out along the east and west coasts of India. On the west coast, 19 transects had been surveyed from Porbandar (Gujarat) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu), whereas on the east coast, round 25 transects had been sampled from Puri (Odisha) to Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu). The findings indicated that the predominant sources of microplastic air pollution are riverine inputs and deserted, misplaced, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), he stated in his response.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, sometimes ranging in measurement from 1 micrometre (µm) to five millimetres (mm). They will be both major microplastics, manufactured at that measurement (like microbeads in cosmetics), or secondary microplastics, shaped from the breakdown of bigger plastic gadgets. The major concern for microplastics is that they’re being more and more linked to tumours, in addition to claimed to be toxic to marine and aquatic life.
Research teams are investigating the presence of microplastics in a wide selection of merchandise. India’s meals regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), commissioned a mission final 12 months to evaluate microplastic contamination in meals merchandise and develop strategies for its detection amid rising concern about microplastic contamination in meals. Environmental analysis organisation Toxics Link examined 10 sorts of salt that claimed to disclose the presence of microplastics in all salt and sugar samples, in varied types, together with fibre, pellets, movies and fragments.
