03 April,2017 04:25 PM IST | | mid-day online correspondent
A global study mapping marine pollution from around the world has revealed that the seas near Mumbai, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are among the world's most polluted
A global study mapping marine pollution from around the world has some startling findings. According to the researchers, the seas near Mumbai, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are among the world's most polluted.
The database compiled by the research team analysed the plastic debris on Mumbai's beaches. It was discovered that microplastics ranging in size from 1m to 5m were present on an average of 68.83 items a sqm at four beaches - Juhu, Versova, Dadar and Aksa, which amounts to 41.85%.
Juhu Beach had the highest quantity of microplastics with 55.33% followed by Versova (28.8%), Dadar (18.6%) and Aksa (7.9%), HB Jayashri, lead author of the research paper, from the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency in Sri Lanka told Hindustan Times.
The database called Litterbase was compiled by researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany based on 1,237 scientific studies.
Marine litter is waste created by humans discharged in coastal or marine environments, 60 to 90% of which constitutes plastic polymers found in cigarette buds, plastic bags, fishing gear, food and beverage containers.
