Prevalence and characteristics of microplastics present in the street dust collected from Chennai metropolitan city, India

In the present study, we assessed the extent of microplastic pollution in the road dust of Chennai, the fifth largest metropolitan city in India. This study is the first of its kind to be reported from India. Sixteen different locations were selected from which road dust samples were collected. The average microplastic abundance was estimated to be 227.94 +/- 91.37 per hundred grams of street dust sample. Nile Red dye was used for microplastic identification and quantification. 92.46% of the quantified microplastics were fragments. Raman spectroscopy of a representative sample identified nine types of polymers viz. polyvinyl chloride, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl-acetate), HDPE, poly(tetrafluoroethylene), cellulose microcrystalline, lyocell, superflex-200, wax-1032, and AC-395. SEM-EDS analysis highlighted the presence of various trace elements pertaining to automobile exhausts. Assessment of microplastic pollution rampant in street dust, especially in coastal cities as Chennai, is a dire need as it pertains to the concerns of human health and escape into the marine environment. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study assessed microplastic pollution in road dust in Chennai, India for the first time, revealing a high average content of microplastics. The majority of quantified microplastics were fragments, and Raman spectroscopy and SEM-EDS analysis identified various polymer types and trace elements.