The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- A new study has documented persistent plastic pellet (nurdle) pollution along the Keralam and Tamil Nadu coasts following the 2025 sinking of the container vessel MSC ELSA-3.
- The Liberian-flagged ship was carrying about 640 containers of plastic resin pellets, hazardous cargo including calcium carbide, and large quantities of diesel and furnace oil when it sank off Keralam in May 2025.
- Monitoring across 93 coastal sites for one year found nurdles buried up to 20 cm deep in beach sediments, with new hotspots emerging months after the spill.
- Weathered pellets accumulated heavy metals, PAHs, petroleum hydrocarbons and PCBs, and developed microbial communities including potentially pathogenic bacteria.
- Nurdles were found in 26 of 2,413 fish examined, and researchers say the findings show long-term monitoring and spill management are needed.
What to watch next
- Release of the full two-year TNPCB impact assessment by SDMRI
- Whether buried nurdles are remobilised by monsoon storms and erosion
- Long-term monitoring of fish and shoreline contamination along the Gulf of Mannar
Who said what2
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Patterson Edward
director, SDMRI
1 quote · 1 outlet
“The continued distribution of nurdles along shorelines and their ingestion by marine fish till date, highlight the need for long-term monitoring and spill management.”
In the article
…oxidative stress and histopathological alterations, said K. Immaculate Jeyasanta, one of the authors. These findings provide evidence of environmental transformation and ecological relevance of spill-derived nurdles. The continued distribution of nurdles along shorelines and their ingestion by marine fish till date, highlight the need for long-term monitoring and spill management. , Mr. Edward stressed. M. Jayanthi, R.L. Laju, A Biju Kumar, Narmatha Sathish, N. Gladwin Gnana Asir, P. Dinesh Kumar, A. Arasamuthu, Jamila Patterson, Suvarna S. Devi, Haridas Vishnu, Chennasseril Raghavan Arun A.…
Immaculate Jeyasanta
one of the authors
1 quote · 1 outlet
“Pristine nurdles caused minimal physiological disturbance, whereas weathered contaminant-enriched nurdles were associated with elevated oxidative stress and histopathological alterations”
In the article
…the monsoon and post-monsoon periods, Mr. Edward said. Nurdle ingestion by fishes Also, nurdles were detected in 26 of 2413 fishes (1.08%) primarily through gastrointestinal ingestion, with occasional gill entrapment. Pristine nurdles caused minimal physiological disturbance, whereas weathered contaminant-enriched nurdles were associated with elevated oxidative stress and histopathological alterations , said K. Immaculate Jeyasanta, one of the authors. These findings provide evidence of environmental transformation and ecological relevance of spill-derived nurdles. The continued distribution of nurdles along…
Coverage1
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Named India · Immaculate Jeyasanta · Marine Pollution Bulletin · MSC Elsa 3 · Patterson Edward · Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute · Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board
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