A comprehensive review on assessment of plastic debris in aquatic environment and its prevalence in fishes and other aquatic animals in India

The presence of meso, macro, and microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments has raised concerns due to their potential risks to aquatic as well as human life. Though plastics are considered to be inert in nature, MPs with toxic additives and accumulated contaminants have harmful ecological effects. Reports of absorption of MPs by internal tissues and toxicity in vital organs such as lung cells, liver, and brain cells have proved its serious health hazards. The study of plastic debris in the aquatic environment deserves special attention due to its ecotoxicolog-ical impact. This review presents a detailed account of the assessment of plastic debris in marine as well as fresh-water environments. The formation of MPs and their sources, sampling, isolation, identification and characterization methods adopted, and the prevalence of MPs in aquatic life are discussed. To the best of our knowledge, the present article is a first-ever comprehensive review covering the entire of India. Our review finds that, so far, very few studies have been carried out, and there is a paucity of information, especially on the prevalence of plastic debris in the freshwater environment, fish, and other aquatic animals in India. While major studies have been done at various coastal locations in the southern part of India anda few studies in the rest of India, south-eastern states remain neglected. Toxicological studies on various life forms, including humans, are lacking. The present review also fills the gap in our knowledge of the various locations studied across India and can guide future research. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The presence of micro, macro, and mesoplastics in aquatic environments poses potential risks to aquatic and human life due to their harmful ecological effects. Research in India on plastic debris is scarce, especially in freshwater environments, fish, and other aquatic animals, with a lack of toxicological studies on various life forms, including humans. The review fills a knowledge gap and provides guidance for future research in India.