Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Blue Crab (Portunus pelagicus) Caught by Bandaran, Bangkalan Fishermen at Different Sizes

Abstract

Microplastics are plastic waste that is degraded into small sizes that float in water bodies and can be ingested by aquatic biota. This study aims to determine the shape, color, and abundance of microplastics in the digestive tract of blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) caught by fishermen in Bandaran Village, Bangkalan at different sizes. Swimming crab sampling was carried out 3 times with different sizes, namely small, medium, and large. Identification of microplastics using a solution of H2SO4 and H2O2 with a concentration of 30% with a ratio of 3:1. Microplastic forms found include fiber, fragments, and films. The highest abundance of microplastics was found in large crabs with a value of 3.13 particles/g. The simple regression test results obtained a relatively small R² value of 0.0003 meaning that the size of the crab has a very small correlation with the abundance of microplastics in the digestive tract.