The Characterization Of The Microplastic Contamination In The Najafgarh Drain Of Yamuna, Delhi

Abstract

Microplastics are small sized plastic particles that are produced in cleaning, cosmetic, pharmaceutical industries etc as well as result from the larger plastic products by means of transportation damage, friction, sunlight action etc. due to its miniscule size it is very harmful to aquatic as well as terrestrial organisms as they ingest it and it leads to damage of organs and their functioning. Microplastics are decade-old pollutants that have been traced across every environmental component and it has contributed to the overall build-up of plastic pollution. Microplastic pollutants have detrimental impacts on both aquatic life and human health. Since it is a very recently discovered pollutant hence it is the hot topic for the scientists and researchers in field of sciences and life sciences. This thesis investigates the presence, distribution, and characteristics of microplastics in the Najafgarh Drain, a critical waterway in Delhi, India This project covers qualitative analysis of microplastics using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) in the samples collected from locations nearby Najafgarh drain water. Using FTIR we saw the presence of PP, PVC, PE, PET etc. and compared it with the data of already present analysis. The presence of PET, PVC and NY were more compared to PP and PE. This might be because of presence of common household trash and wastes from nearby localities and religious places around the sampling sites where chadars, chunni, and other materials are being discarded into the drain.