The concentration of microplastic in water and fish (Gambusia affinis) collected from Brantas River

Abstract

The Brantas River is a freshwater river that flows in the area of Malang. The current quality of the Brantas River has decreased due to microplastic contamination. Microplastic has dynamic properties and high flexibility accumulating in the waters and organisms. The purpose of the study was to determine the type and abundance of microplastic in water and Gambusia affinis fish in the Brantas River Malang area. This study employed a survey method and sampling which was carried out in five different locations based on land used. The identification of microplastics used NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-OR&R-48 as the standard method. Two-way ANOVA analysis was used to determine the differences in the abundance of microplastics in water and fish at different stations. The average abundance of microplastic in water samples is equal to 5593.33 ± 1137.35 particles/m3 and in gambusia fish samples is 3.09 ± 0.29 particles/individual. Microplastic in the water samples was dominated by fragments type, while fibers type had mainly founded in gambusia fish samples. The result of the abundance of microplastic of water samples and fish samples was different at each station was influenced by their respective land uses.