Identification of microplastics in fish from the local fish market of Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia

Abstract

Marine pollution, mainly plastic waste, has become a worldwide problem, especially in Indonesia. Indonesia is the second contributing country after China, with 10% contribution of the source of plastic pollution in the world. In the ocean, plastic will fragment into smaller pieces (less than 5 mm), known as microplastics (MPs). MPs can harm wildlife, especially fish, due to their toxic characteristics or other toxic substances attached to them. Indonesia, especially coastal areas, is known for its high consumption of marine fish, so this study aims to investigate the microplastics in fish sold at lokal fish markets in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. The fish sold came from the southern sea of Java (Indian ocean) around Depok Beach, Cemorosewu Beach, and Parangkusumo Beach. Three types of fish dominate namely Skipjack, Snapper, and Pomfret. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Wet Peroxide Oxidation (WPO) methods were used to examine fish samples. Identification of MPs was made based on shape and colour. The results showed that the most common MPs found were fibres with a total number of 36-91 particles/fish. The dominant colour of MPs is transparent, with a total of 552 particles from total samples. Although the analysis was only conducted in fish intestinal, there is potential that MPs will be found in fish meat. The chemical characteristics of MPs were determined using the Fourier Transport InfraRed (FTIR). The types of plastics found were Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), and Nylon.