Overview

• A CSE study detected 800 microplastic particles per kilogram of sediment along a 12km stretch of the Yamuna near the Taj Mahal, the highest concentration among four sampled sites.
• Textile fibers accounted for 57% of sediment microplastics, while plastic packaging fragments made up 36% and black tyre-derived particles 27%.
• Surface water at the Taj Mahal site contained 17 particles per cubic meter, second to Hathi Ghat’s 46 particles linked to cloth-washing and wastewater drains.
• The findings exceed Bengal’s Ganga sediment levels of 428 particles per kilogram and highlight the absence of national limits on microplastic concentrations in India.
• The Union Ministry of Environment has received the CSE report and will expand assessments to other major rivers to address growing ecological and health risks.