Research

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Title :

Study on Microplastic Pollution in Freshwater System around Municipal Solid Waste dumpsite in Greater Hyderabad, India

Area of research :

Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences

Principal Investigator :

Dr. Ramamohan Kurakalva, CSIR - National Geophysical Research Institute, Telangana

Timeline Start Year :

2023

Timeline End Year :

2026

Contact info :

Equipments :

Details

Executive Summary :

Microplastics are emerging contaminants in freshwater systems, posing a global concern due to their widespread presence in terrestrial, marine, and freshwater systems. By 2050, approximately 12 billion metric tons of plastic waste are expected to be released into landfills or the environment. India has banned plastic bags and disposable plastics since 2016, but little research has been conducted on freshwater environments like groundwater, lakes, and rivers. River/lake water has few studies compared to groundwater resources. A proposed study aims to investigate microplastic pollution in surface water and groundwater around the Municipal Solid Waste dumpsite at Jawahar Nagar, Hyderabad, focusing on the environmental and public health concerns. Water samples will be collected, filtered, dried, and examined using optical microscopes/SEM. The study will also determine the coexistence of other pollutants, such as toxic metals, to correlate their impact on microplastic pollution. Characterizing microplastic pollution's abundance and distribution in surface water and groundwater around the dumpsite has significant potential for future ecological stability and resilience.

Total Budget (INR):

31,92,480

Organizations involved