Plastic particles, measuring <5 mm in size, mainly originate from larger plastic debris undergoing degradation, fragmenting into even smaller fragments. The goal was to analyze the spatial diversity and polymer composition of microplastics (MPs) in North Chennai, South India, aiming to evaluate their prevalence and features like composition, dimensions, color, and shape. In 60 sediment samples, a combined count of 1589 particles were detected, averaging 26 particles per 5 g of dry sediment. The water samples from the North Chennai vicinity encompassed a sum of 1588 particles across 71 samples, with an average of 22 items/L. The majority of MPs ranged in size from 1 mm to 500 μm. The ATR-FTIR results identified the predominant types of MPs as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene in sediment and water. The spatial variation analysis revealed high MPs concentration in landfill sites, areas with dense populations, and popular tourist destinations. The pollution load index in water demonstrated that MPs had contaminated all stations. Upon evaluating the polymeric and pollution risks, it was evident that they ranged from 5.13 to 430.15 and 2.83 to 15,963.2, which is relatively low to exceedingly high levels. As the quantity of MPs and hazardous polymers increased, the level of pollution and corresponding risks also escalated significantly. The existence of MPs in lake water, as opposed to open well water, could potentially pose a cancer risk for both children and adults who consume it. Detecting MPs in water samples highlights the significance of implementing precautionary actions to alleviate the potential health hazards they create.

中文翻译：

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印度金奈北部的水和沉积物中的微塑料、其丰度及其分布：污染风险和人类健康影响评估

尺寸小于 5 毫米的塑料颗粒主要源自较大的塑料碎片，经过降解，碎裂成更小的碎片。目标是分析印度南部钦奈北部微塑料 (MP) 的空间多样性和聚合物组成，旨在评估其流行程度以及组成、尺寸、颜色和形状等特征。在 60 个沉积物样本中，总共检测到 1589 个颗粒，平均每 5 克干沉积物有 26 个颗粒。北金奈附近地区的水样共 71 个样本，含有 1588 个颗粒，平均为 22 个/升。大多数 MP 的尺寸范围为 1 mm 至 500 μm。 ATR-FTIR 结果确定了沉积物和水中 MP 的主要类型为聚苯乙烯、聚氯乙烯、聚乙烯、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯和聚丙烯。空间变化分析显示，垃圾填埋场、人口稠密地区和热门旅游目的地的 MP 浓度较高。水中的污染负荷指数表明议员们污染了所有站点。对聚合物和污染风险进行评估后发现，它们的范围为5.13至430.15和2.83至15,963.2，处于相对较低至极高的水平。随着MP和危险聚合物数量的增加，污染程度和相应的风险也显着升级。与露天井水中相比，湖水中存在 MP，可能会给饮用湖水中的儿童和成人带来癌症风险。检测水样中的 MP 凸显了采取预防措施以减轻其造成的潜在健康危害的重要性。