Ocean Plastic Pellets Plague Kerala & Tamil Nadu Coasts

A year-long scientific study following the sinking of the MSC ELSA-3 vessel off the Kerala coast in May 2025 has documented persistent nurdle pollution and evolving ecological impacts. The incident, involving approximately 640 containers of plastic resin pellets and other hazardous cargo, marked India's first large-scale marine resin pellet spill.

The research, conducted across 93 coastal sites in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, revealed that shoreline nurdle abundance initially peaked at 31,230 items per square meter, declining by over 80% within three months. However, new pollution hotspots emerged, and by May 2026, nurdles were found buried up to 20 cm in beach sediments, indicating long-term persistence.

These weathered nurdles have demonstrated significant environmental transformation. They accumulated contaminants including heavy metals and PCBs, and developed a microbial 'plastisphere.' Pellets exposed to the environment for months showed a marked increase in bacterial abundance, exceeding one million colony-forming units per gram in some instances.

Furthermore, the study found nurdles in 1.08% of sampled fish, primarily through ingestion. Pristine nurdles caused minimal harm, but weathered, contaminant-enriched pellets were associated with elevated oxidative stress and histopathological alterations in fish. The continued presence and ingestion of nurdles underscore the necessity for long-term monitoring and effective spill management strategies.