Residential buildings major source of microplastic pollution: IIT-Madras

According to Prof Indumathi Nambi, the escalating issue of plastic pollution demanded urgent attention and action. Current estimates suggest that between 4.88 to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic find their way into the ocean each year.

Chennai: A review by the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has identified prominent and unnoticed sources of microplastics in residential buildings as a source of microplastic pollution, their transportation, transformation and toxicity effects in aquatic organisms and human beings.

The authors of the review are of the opinion that this review is the first-of-its-kind to attempt to comprehensively explore the diverse activities and products within residential buildings, collectively identifying them as significant contributors to generation of microplastics.

The review suggests that among the various sources contributing to the spread of microplastics in the environment, municipal wastewater stands out as a major source. Everyday household activities like washing dishes, doing laundry, taking showers, and using toilets all contribute to the production of municipal wastewater.

The review, which was conducted by Angel Jessieleena, Kiruthika Eswari Velmaiel, Anju Anna John, and Indumathi M. Nambi from the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT-Madras, and Sasikaladevi Rathinavelu, from the Department of Biotechnology, has been published in the reputed journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

“More detailed research needs to be done with real time environmental microplastics and microfibres to ascertain the myths and facts related to the risk associated with exposure to microplastics in humans,” Nambi said, adding that the escalating issue of plastic pollution demands urgent attention and action.

Current estimates suggest that between 4.88 to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic find their way into the ocean each year and projections indicate that by 2050, the cumulative weight of plastics in our oceans could surpass the total biomass of fish.

The researchers add that it was important to note that these estimates do not even account for ubiquitous synthetic fibres such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA) and polyacrylate.

Laundry washing releases a significant quantity of microfibers into wastewater, while personal care products like shower gels, face cleansers, and toothpaste contain deliberate microplastic additives known as microbeads, the research said.

The review suggests that source reduction was a vital consideration to combat microplastic pollution. It also suggests that personal care products should be replaced with biodegradable materials, and use of plastic-based products such as scouring pads needs to be reduced.

Also, laundry machines should also have highly efficient filters.