QUANTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF MICROPLASTICS IN FLOWING WATERS ALONG SOUTH JUHU BEACH, MUMBAI COAST

The study was carried out to estimate the amount of microplastics in flowing waters along the South Juhu beach, Mumbai coast. Microplastics are defined as particles with sizes less than 5mm.

In this study, microplastics were analysed by density gradient method in seawater. One kg of plastic collected from aluminium device was dipped into plastic bucket up to half of its total capacity. Seawater was poured into it to a level required for through mixing. The samples were mixed thoroughly and floating microplastics were taken out from bucket with the help of a sieve. The collected microplastics were dried and quantified in terms of number and weight (g).Microplastics were collected with the aid aluminium device and further quantitatively assessed. The installation of the sampling device during April 2018 to May 2018, these device have captured and collected over 106 pieces and 9.9 g during low tide and 95 pieces and 8.7 g during high tide from Juhu water channel and its tributaries. The collected microplastic was dried, segregated, quantified and classified into two major categories namely plastic fragments and foamed plastics. Totally six sampling was carried out .The maximum number and weight (g) of microplastics found during low tide. The highest abundance of microplastics by count and weight was found in sixth sampling was 22 and 2.1 g during low tide. The lowest abundance of microplastics by count in first sampling was 11 and weight in second sampling found was 1.1g during high tide (Table1& Figure 1).