The capsizing of a cargo vessel in May in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Kerala, southwest India, has led to millions of plastic pellets, known as nurdles, washing ashore and causing severe environmental damage.
Among the ship’s 643 containers were 71,500 sacks filled with the tiny pellets. By July, only 7,920 sacks had been recovered, according to reports.
Millions more continued to appear on beaches following intense monsoon storms in June, which devastated a palm-lined beach in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala’s capital. Experts warn the nurdles are nearly impossible to recover and will persist for years, trapped in shifting sands and ocean currents.
The worst recorded nurdle spill occurred in 2021 off Colombo, Sri Lanka, when 1,680 tonnes entered the sea.
Nurdles pose serious threats to wildlife, including fish, shrimp and seabirds, as they can carry so-called “forever chemicals” and harmful bacteria such as E. coli into the food chain.
While their full impact on human health remains unclear, they have been linked to strokes and heart attacks.
“When ingested by marine animals, these pellets introduce a cocktail of toxins directly into the food chain,” said environmental researcher Joseph Vijayan. “Toxins can accumulate in individual animals and concentrate higher up the chain, ultimately affecting humans who consume seafood.”
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