Microplastic contamination in Ashtamudi Lake, India: Insights from a Ramsar wetland.

Estuaries function as temporary storage sites for plastic debris, influencing the distribution of microplastics (MPs) across ecosystems. This research delves into the presence of MPs in the water, sediment, fish, and shellfish of Ashtamudi Lake, a Ramsar wetland with brackish water located on the southwest coast of India. Given the lake's significance in supporting the livelihoods of numerous fishers and acting as a vital source of fishery resources for both local consumption and export, examining the contamination of the system by MPs becomes particularly pertinent.