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Zhang K, Cheng MCY, Liu M, Xu S, Ma Y, Chau HS, Chen L, Cao Y, Yan M, Xu X, Thoe W, Sun SWC, Yang RR, Leung KMY, Lam PKS. Microplastics in Hong Kong's marine waters: Impact of rainfall and Pearl River discharge. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 205:116635. [PMID: 38936000 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
This study provided a systematic investigation of microplastics in Hong Kong's surface marine waters during the pandemic from 2019 to 2021. Microplastics (2.07 ± 4.00 particles/m3) exhibited significant temporal variations with higher abundance in the wet season, without a consistent trend after the mandatory mask-wearing requirement was announced. The impact of pandemic restrictions on microplastic distribution was found to be relatively minor. However, significant correlations between microplastic abundances and rainfall highlighted the substantial contribution of local emissions through surface runoff. Notably, sites in closer proximity to the Pearl River Delta exhibited higher microplastic abundances, indicating their association with emission sources. The influence of rainfall and adverse weather on marine microplastic loads demonstrated different sensitivities among various locations but can generally last for one month. These results revealed the impact of seasonal rainfall on coastal microplastics and emphasized the need for efforts to reduce microplastic discharge from land-based sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Zhang
- National Observation and Research Station of Coastal Ecological Environments in Macao, Macao Environmental Research Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519080, China; Center for Ocean Research in Hong Kong and Macau (CORE), The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Michael C Y Cheng
- Water Quality Management Group, Environmental Protection Department, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mengyang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Shaopeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yue Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hoi Shan Chau
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Luoluo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yaru Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Meng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiangrong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wai Thoe
- Water Quality Management Group, Environmental Protection Department, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sunny W C Sun
- Water Quality Management Group, Environmental Protection Department, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ron R Yang
- Water Quality Management Group, Environmental Protection Department, Government of the Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kenneth M Y Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Paul K S Lam
- Department of Science, School of Science and Technology, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, China.
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2
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Han Y, Gu X, Lin C, He M, Wang Y. Effects of COVID-19 on coastal and marine environments: Aggravated microplastic pollution, improved air quality, and future perspective. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 355:141900. [PMID: 38579953 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic during 2020-2023 has wrought adverse impacts on coastal and marine environments. This study conducts a comprehensive review of the collateral effects of COVID-19 on these ecosystems through literature review and bibliometric analysis. According to the output and citation analysis of these publications, researchers from the coastal countries in Asia, Europe, and America payed more attentions to this environmental issue than other continents. Specifically, India, China, and USA were the top three countries in the publications, with the proportion of 19.55%, 18.99%, and 12.01%, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly aggravated the plastic and microplastic pollution in coastal and marine environments by explosive production and unproper management of personal protective equipment (PPE). During the pandemic, the estimated mismanaged PPE waste ranged from 16.50 t/yr in Sweden to 250,371.39 t/yr in Indonesia. In addition, the PPE density ranged from 1.13 × 10-5 item/m2 to 2.79 item/m2 in the coastal regions worldwide, showing significant geographical variations. Besides, the emerging contaminants released from PPE into the coastal and marine environments cannot be neglected. The positive influence was that the COVID-19 lockdown worldwide reduced the release of air pollutants (e.g., fine particulate matter, NO2, CO, and SO2) and improved the air quality. The study also analyzed the relationships between sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the publications and revealed the dynamic changes of SDGs in different periods the COVID-19 pandemic. In conclusion, the air was cleaner due to the lockdown, but the coastal and marine contamination of plastic, microplastic, and emerging contaminants got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last but not least, the study proposed four strategies to deal with the coastal and marine pollution caused by COVID-19, which were regular marine monitoring, performance of risk assessment, effective regulation of plastic wastes, and close international cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Han
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Xiang Gu
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
| | - Chunye Lin
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Mengchang He
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yidi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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Choi NE, Lee YK, Oh H, Hur J. Photo-induced leaching behaviors and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter from microplastics and terrestrial-sourced particles. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 355:141826. [PMID: 38552805 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies have increasingly focused on the occurrence of plastic leachate and its impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Nonetheless, the environmental fate of this leachate in the presence of abundant natural organic matter (NOM)-a typical scenario in environments contaminated with plastics-remains underexplored. This study investigates the photo-induced leaching behaviors of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from terrestrial-sourced particles (forest soil and leaf litter) and microplastics (MPs), specifically polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), over a two-week period. We also examined the biodegradability and spectroscopic characteristics of the leached DOM from both sources. Our results reveal that DOM from microplastics (MP-DOM) demonstrates more persistent leaching behavior compared to terrestrial-derived DOM, even with lesser quantities per unit of organic carbon. UV irradiation was found to enhance DOM leaching across all particle types. However, the photo-induced leaching behaviors of fluorescent components varied with the particle type. The MP group exhibited a broader range and higher biodegradability (ranging from 19.7% to 61.6%) compared to the terrestrial-sourced particles (ranging from 3.7% to 16.5%). DOM leached under UV irradiation consistently showed higher biodegradability than that under dark conditions. Furthermore, several fluorescence characteristics of DOM, such as the protein/phenol-like component (%C2), terrestrial humic-like component (%C3), and humification index (HIX)-traditionally used to indicate the biodegradability of natural organic matter-were also effective in assessing MP-DOM (with correlation coefficients R2 = 0.6055 (p = 0.003), R2 = 0.5389 (p = 0.007), and R2 = 0.4640 (p = 0.015), respectively). This study provides new insights into the potential differences in environmental fate between MP-DOM and NOM in aquatic environments heavily contaminated with MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Eun Choi
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05006, South Korea
| | - Yun Kyung Lee
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05006, South Korea
| | - Haeseong Oh
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05006, South Korea
| | - Jin Hur
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, 05006, South Korea.
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Gupta P, Saha M, Suneel V, Rathore C, Ray D, Naik A. The consequences of reduced anthropogenic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic on microplastic abundance in a tropical estuarine region: Goa, India. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169041. [PMID: 38056653 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is pervasive, as it has infiltrated every corner of the planet and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a depletion in the production, consumption, and disposal of plastics. To find out the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a comparative assessment of microplastics (MPs) observed before and after the pandemic was evaluated in surface water and sediment from the major rivers of Goa, i.e. Mandovi and Zuari. To comprehend the relative difference in the abundance, characteristics, and source of MPs, samples were examined in both the dry and wet seasons. We found a sharp decrease in the concentration of MPs immediately after the isolated pandemic. During the dry and wet seasons, two to seven times less concentration of MPs was recorded for water and sediments after the pandemic period compared to the prior pandemic. MPs size, >300 μm were relatively abundant after the pandemic period in contrast to the prior pandemic (<300 μm sized MPs were more). Polyamide (PA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were the dominant polymers after the pandemic whereas earlier the dominant polymers were polyacetylene, polyacrylamide (PAM), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). The risk assessment of MPs in sediments (Polymer load index) was higher prior to the pandemic. The water quality parameters also indicated an improvement in the water quality during the pandemic. The present study clearly exhibited that due to the reduction of overall anthropogenic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic period, a sharp decline of plastic waste and MP abundance in the coastal water body in Goa, west coast of India was found. This study unveils the controlling factors (such as total solid waste generation, plastic waste, tourism activities, and the effect of monsoon) which influence the abundance and distribution of macro- and microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyansha Gupta
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Mahua Saha
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
| | - V Suneel
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Chayanika Rathore
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Durbar Ray
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| | - Akshata Naik
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
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McGoran AR, Clark PF, Smith BD, Morritt D. Macrolitter and mesolitter in the Thames Estuary: A temporal litter assessment and brand audit of submerged and riverbed debris. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 337:122484. [PMID: 37659629 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Macroplastic is a growing concern for marine environments with estuaries providing a major pathway for pollution from land-based sources to the sea. In the Thames Estuary, plastic was abundant floating below the surface and on the riverbed, with an average catch per unit effort of 0.57 ± 0.42 and 2.75 ± 2.44 item per minute respectively. Whilst the abundance of litter differed between midwater and benthic zones, the types of products recovered did not. These were identified through visual examination and use of a unique citizen science engagement protocol, allowing for the item age, brand and countries of origin to be established. The majority of litter from the present study (n = 1335) was packaging (40%), some of which was over 30-years old and may have originated from landfill run off. Also abundant was sewage-related debris, the inputs of which was related to heavy or prolonged rainfall. Peaks in this material were recorded in September 2020 following the greatest volume of rain recorded in a single day and in June 2019 after the longest period of continuous rainfall. The Covid-19 pandemic did not influence the abundance or diversity of plastic recovered between December 2018 and September 2020. The durability of plastic ensures it has high potential for harm through entanglement, deoxygenation of sediment and ingestion. The retention in the environment also increases opportunities to fragment into micro- or nanoplastics and, therefore, it is important to monitor plastics at both a macro- and micro-scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra R McGoran
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT, UK; School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK; The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - Paul F Clark
- The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Brian D Smith
- The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - David Morritt
- School of Life Sciences and the Environment, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
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Guo Y, Sun X, Shi W, Liu Z, Wu Y. Cetaceans as Bioindicators to Assess Alkylphenol Exposure and Hormone-Disrupting Effects in the South China Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37315293 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Alkylphenols (APs) represent one of the highest exposure levels among endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the South China Sea (SCS) due to their extensive use as plastic additives. The concerns about EDCs, including APs, have been reiterated since the surge in plastic waste from the COVID-19 response, but far less is known about the response of AP loadings in the SCS to emerging public policies and activities, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we used cetaceans as bioindicators for monitoring two major APs, 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) and 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), in nine stranded cetacean species (n = 110) in the SCS between 2004 and 2021. Prior to the COVID-19, APs loads showed decreasing temporal trends for finless porpoises and humpback dolphins, most likely due to China's restrictions on AP use or a shift in dominant prey species. Unexpectedly, AP loads continued to decline after the COVID-19 outbreak, probably due to a temporal-lag response of marine AP fluxes to the pandemic. The health risk assessments based on hormone biomarkers and toxicity thresholds suggest the potential adverse effects of APs on cetaceans, while recent declines in APs, though limited, may mitigate the detrimental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongwei Guo
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Xian Sun
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Wei Shi
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Zhiwei Liu
- School of Ecology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yuping Wu
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai 519082, China
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Devereux R, Ayati B, Westhead EK, Jayaratne R, Newport D. "The great source" microplastic abundance and characteristics along the river Thames. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 191:114965. [PMID: 37119584 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
This study focused on quantifying the abundance of microplastics within the surface water of the River Thames, UK. Ten sites in eight areas were sampled within the tidal Thames, starting from Teddington and ending at Southend-on-Sea. Three litres of water was collected monthly at high tide from land-based structures from each site from May 2019 to May 2021. Samples underwent visual analysis for microplastics categorised based on type, colour and size. 1041 pieces were tested using Fourier transform spectroscopy to identify chemical composition and polymer type. 6401 pieces of MP were found during sampling with an average MP of 12.27 pieces L-1 along the river Thames. Results from this study show that microplastic abundance does not increase along the river.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ria Devereux
- Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), University of East London, Knowledge Dock, Docklands Campus, 4-6 University Way, London E16 2RD, United Kingdom.
| | - Bamdad Ayati
- Sustainability Research Institute (SRI), University of East London, Knowledge Dock, Docklands Campus, 4-6 University Way, London E16 2RD, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ravindra Jayaratne
- Department of Engineering & Construction, University of East London, Docklands Campus, 4-6 University Way, London E16 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Darryl Newport
- Suffolk Sustainability Research Institute (SSI), University of Suffolk, Waterfront Building, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 1QJ, United Kingdom
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Amrutha K, Warrier AK, Rangel-Buitrago N. Did the COVID-19 pandemic play a role in the spatial and temporal variations of microplastics? Evidence from a tropical river in southern India. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 192:115088. [PMID: 37269702 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Personal protective equipment (PPE) use has increased because of COVID-19, producing more microplastics (MPs). The pandemic's impact on MP pollution in Indian rivers is little understood. In this study, the Netravathi River in Karnataka was investigated for the spatiotemporal distribution of MPs. The MPs abundance, size, and categories varied seasonally, with a higher concentration during the monsoon seasons. The reduction in rainfall during MON20 and the COVID-19 lockdown can be the reasons for the significant decrease in the MP concentration when compared to MON19. Polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate were the most abundant polymers, with a shift from polyethylene to the latter (74 %) during post-monsoon season post-lockdown. The situation of MP pollution in Western Ghats can be mitigated with the aid of appropriate waste management of plastic trash and greater public awareness about the disposal of single-use plastics, which has risen significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaniyambadi Amrutha
- Department of Sciences, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India; Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Anish Kumar Warrier
- Department of Civil Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India; Centre for Climate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India.
| | - Nelson Rangel-Buitrago
- Programa de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Atlántico, Puerto Colombia, Atlántico, Colombia
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