IJEP 45(8): 728-737 : Vol. 45 Issue. 8 (August 2025)
National Institute of Technology Patna, Department of Civil Engineering, Patna – 800 005, Bihar, India
Abstract
Microplastics, tiny plastic fragments, are dangerous pollutants transported from land to oceans via rivers, like the Ganga, which carry large quantities. The Ganga’s water has multiple uses for domestic, industrial, agricultural and religious purposes, making the presence of microplastics very significant when considering their impacts. In response to these issues, this is likely the first study focused on assessing the spatio-temporal distribution of microplastics, estimating contamination levels and calculating the pollution load index (PLI) of microplastics in water and sediment samples collected from 11 major cities in India. The study indicated that the PLI in the river water has reached an extremely high level, categorized as a hazard level IV. It also showed comparatively higher PLI values for water and sediment in Patna city compared to all the other cities studied. This research can provide new insights and awareness regarding potential sources of microplastics, their impacts and strategies for managing microplastics pollution in the water and sediments of the Ganga from a pollution control perspective.
Keywords
Categorization, Contamination, Ecosystem, Hazard level, Pollution load index, Surface water
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