Characterization of weathered microplastics in freshwater and fish from the Central Himalayas
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) contamination has emerged as a pervasive environmental issue globally, yet information from high-altitude Himalayan freshwater ecosystems remains scarce. This study combines spatial distribution analysis with morphological characterization (SEM-EDS) to assess polymer weathering of microplastics in surface waters and the freshwater fish Tor putitora (Golden Mahseer) from three Himalayan systems of Uttarakhand, India-Bhimtal Lake, the Ladhiya River (Chalthi), and Pancheshwar (Saryu-Kali confluence). Surface water (100 L/site) and fish (n = 30/site) samples were processed following standardized digestion and filtration protocols. Representative MP particles from water and fish tissues were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Microplastics were detected in all samples, ranging from 2.4 ± 0.8 particles L⁻1 in water to 3.2 ± 1.1 particles g⁻1 in fish tissues. Fish from Bhimtal Lake exhibited the highest loads (6.8 ± 0.4 items/individual). Fibers dominated (74-82%), primarily black and blue, with most particles < 500 µm. FTIR analysis identified five major polymer types-nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene while SEM-EDS revealed surface cracking, pitting, and elevated O and Si, indicating oxidative degradation and inorganic adsorption. The integrated spatial-morphological approach demonstrates polymer weathering…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a experimental / empirical study, done in animal, not in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health. Reported size: 30 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- The Matrisome: In Silico Definition and In Vivo Characterization by Proteomics of Normal and Tumor Extracellular Matrices
- The Escherichia coli MG1655 in silico metabolic genotype: Its definition, characteristics, and capabilities
- In silico pharmacology for drug discovery: methods for virtual ligand screening and profiling
- In silico prediction of splice-altering single nucleotide variants in the human genome
- In silico clinical trials: how computer simulation will transform the biomedical industry
- In silico optimization of a guava antimicrobial peptide enables combinatorial exploration for peptide design
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.