Floating ocean plastics can contribute to global warming, find Indian researchers

New Delhi: Oceans choked with plastic are not just a health threat, but also contribute to global warming, according to a study by researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa.

The study found that floating plastics act similar to algae – which is the scum floating on water bodies – and prevent the absorption of sunlight by water bodies. This reflects the light back into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

The research was led by T I Eldho at IIT-Bombay, while Renjith VishnuRadhan (also IIT-Bombay) and NCPOR’s T Divya David also worked on it. The study said that the presence of floating plastics could also reduce to the amount of oxygen dissolved in water and also affect photosynthesis and evaporation.


“Plastics are ubiquitous in water bodies today, and every time we visit a beach, we are welcomed by an enormous amount of beach litter, mainly composed of plastic”, said Vishnuradhan in a release issued by the institute. “The present conditions of beaches around the world present signs of an environmental crisis” he said, even though there are efforts to clean up beaches.

“Countries have started to ban single-use plastics and are initiating measures to check plastic pollution. This a very encouraging move,” said Prof Eldho in the release.

The study was published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin and was partially funded by Science and Engineering Research Board.