Microplastic contamination in sediment and Strombus sp. on Bintan Island, Indonesia

Abstract

The high level of public plastic consumption can trigger the increase of plastic and waste in marine areas. Plastic floats in the ocean will then be degraded into smaller sizes (<5 mm), namely microplastics. Microplastic can be dangerous to marine environments, especially to natural resources, including sediment and marine biotas., where microplastics are easily eaten by diverse marine biota. Bintan Island is a conservation area with abundant seagrass and associated biota resources, especially Strombus sp. This study examines microplastic contamination in sediment and Strombus sp. on Bintan Island, Indonesia. Samples (Strombus sp.) were collected from a 100 x 20 meter seagrass area, while sediment samples were taken in a 1 m x 1 m quadrant. The sediment was dried, and the biota was dissected to see the presence of microplastics. All microplastics collected from both samples were identified in shape and colour. The results showed that microplastics had been found in sediment and Strombus sp. Based on the characteristics of microplastics, the highest abundance of colour found was white, while the highest abundance of types found was a fragment