Abundance, Characteristics, and Microplastics Load in Informal Urban Drainage System Carrying Intermixed Liquid Waste Streams

This first-of-its-kind study systematically assesses the abundance and characteristics of Microplastics (MPs) in different categories of informal open drains (nallas) carrying different liquid waste streams from different functional areas of an Indian city. Such drains are part of the informal urban drainage system that carries wastewater, stormwater, industrial effluent, and rural runoff. Logistical and locational limitations of traditional wastewater (WW) sampling methods severely limit their application in open drains. To overcome sampling challenges owing to complex geography, vast drainage network spread across different functional areas of the entire city, and local challenges, appropriately modified sampling strategies were adopted to collect samples from 35 open WW drains (small/local, intermediatory, and large). MPs (50μm-5mm) were present in a bucket, and net samples obtained from all 35 WW drains. The average MP concentration in WW drains was 4.20 ± 1.40 particles/L (bucket samples) and 5.19 ± 1.32 particles/L (net samples). A declining trend of MPs abundance was observed from larger to smaller drains, confirming that smaller and intermediatory drains (carrying WW from different functional areas of the city) are discharging their MP loads into larger drains. Intermixing different WW streams (municipal WW, stormwater surface runoff, agricultural runoff, and industrial WW) increases MP levels in drains. The local riverine ecosystem is being put at risk by a daily MPs load of 12.6 x 108 particles discharged from 9 larger drains into the local river Kharun. To protect the riverine ecosystem, controlling the high daily MPs load from such drains is important. Diversion of WW drains through constructed wetlands built near river banks can be a cost-effective solution. Because the entire Indian subcontinent and parts of Africa rely mainly on such drains having similar characteristics and local conditions, the findings of this study reflect the status and pattern of MPs pollution in informal drains of the entire Indian subcontinent and can be used by stakeholders and governments to take mitigative and preventive measures to manage the MPs pollution and protect the local riverine ecosystem.