Page 74 - Plastics News November 2018

in the news

NIOT to study microplastics MPCB issues closure notices to

threat 93 plastic manufacturing units

n a pilot project towards assessing the prevalence he Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has
Iof microplastics, a growing threat to the marine Tissued closure notices to 93 plastic manufacturing
environment, National Institute of Ocean Technology units last month. It is also in the process of issuing
(NIOT) has recently launched a survey in four different closure notices to as many as 235 plastic manufacturing
locations of the ocean, units across the state for violating the plastic ban. As
including near Chennai. per the data compiled by MPCB, it has inspected over
Microplastics, one of the 600 plastic manufacturing units across the state from
major pollutants affecting March 23 — when the ban came into force — to October
marine environment, 2. Of these, nearly 287 units appeared to be shut during
comprise particles that are the inspection by the MPCB officials. “Following the
less than 5 mm in size. A ban, instructions were given to the MPCB to take action
team of scientists has lifted against the plastic manufacturing units for violation
water samples near coastal of the ban.
areas and deep sea locations
off Chennai, Godavari river The notices have been issued to those units flouting
mouth, Mahanadi river plastic ban,” said an official from the State Environment
mouth off Odisha and Ganga river mouth, West Bengal. Department. The official further said the highest
The project to study marine debris and microplastics number of plastic manufacturing units are located in
is being jointly executed along with National Centre Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Thane and Kolhapur among
for Coastal Research (NCCR). M.A. Atmanand, director, others. Some of the units have been fined for a
NIOT, said the study is a first step towards understanding preliminary offence and further action is likely to be
microplastics that are barely visible and preventing them initiated against them as well, the official added. The
from reaching the sea. The pilot study that would analyse official added that nearly 299 tonne plastic had been
the samples would help identifying possible sources from seized and Rs 2.53 crore fine were collected so far.
where microplastics reach the ocean. “Now, the instructions have been given to the MPCB
and other authorities, empowered to take action for
M.V. Ramanamurthy, director, NCCR, said that, in Chennai,
plastic waste was found to be getting into sea through
waterways like Cooum, Adyar and Kosasthalaiyar rivers.
The study would help identify what kinds of plastics are
in the ocean and ways of reaching the ocean, including
surface current. The 20-day survey was undertaken in
various locations in Bay of Bengal last month. Samples
were lifted from deep sea locations between Chennai and
Andaman. R. Venkatesan, Scientist G, NIOT, said the water
samples were lifting from depth varying between 40 m and
200 m to find the level of microplastics pollution. Ships
too would drop waste in the seas and the currents would violations of the plastic ban, to keep check on the large
wash them near the shores. “The plastic material that are number of vehicles carrying plastic from Gujarat into
exposed to sunlight for long would get disintegrated. We our state. The seizure action should be taken and cases
are planning to develop a tool to survey a larger extent of should be filed against them as per norms,” added the
ocean and also prepare a methodology to reduce marine official. Earlier, the Minister for Environment, Ramdas
debris from reaching oceans. The samples would be Kadam, took a review of plastic ban implementation
filtered and sediments would be screened to determine across the state. Kadam has directed to the Environment
the presence of microplastics and come up with remedial Department to cancel the licences of the shops for
measures, he added. repeated violations of plastic ban.

Plastics News November 2018 7476