A Review of the Current State of Microplastic Pollution in South Asian Countries

Abstract

Microplastic contamination has become a concerning topic of study in recent decades. This review discusses the development of microplastic pollution based on a selection of South Asian countries consisting of Bangladesh, Iran, Philippines, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The condition of microplastic pollution related to the abundance of microplastic found in various environments as well as the presence of microplastics in food and the air, is covered in this review. Several reports found that drinking water sourced from taps was found to have about 83% of microplastic particles in the year 2017 based on results from 14 nations, and in the year 2018, 260 bodies of water for human consumption in 11 countries were found to have about 93% of microplastic particles. Micro debris pollution in seas and oceans worldwide is predicted to be at an amount of 236,000 metric tons based on a statistical report. A mean value of 30 micro debris per liter of glacier water was recovered from the top of Mount Everest, whereas about 2200 small particles per liter were discovered in the deep waters of the Mariana Trench. The main environments that are severely microplastic-contaminated are water-based places such as rivers, estuaries, and beaches. The presence of microplastics in food items, such as tea bags, sugar, shrimp paste, and salt packets, has been reported. In terms of impacts on the environment, microplastic contamination includes the ingestion of microplastics by aquatic creatures in water environments. The impacts on terrestrial environments relate to microplastics sinking into the soil, leading to the alteration of the physicochemical parameters of soil. Meanwhile, the impacts on the atmospheric environment include the settling of microplastics on the external bodies of animals and humans.