The Evidence of Microplastic Contamination in Central Javanese Local Ducks from Intensive Animal Husbandry

Abstract

Plastic debris sized from 0.33 to 5 mm or so-called microplastic is an abundant environmental pollutant found worldwide in various ecosystems. The contamination has been threatening animals such as fish, wild birds, domesticated poultry, and waterfowls. This preliminary research aimed to reveal the evidence of microplastic contamination in domesticated duck to prove that plastic contamination has spread massively and depicts how far the local duck ingests microplastic. Total 25 duck samples were collected from local duck intensive husbandry in five cities, i.e., Semarang and Pati (coastal area), Salatiga (lowland area), and Temanggung and Magelang (highland area). Duck intestinal tract samples were collected and were further digested using 10 N KOH at 60–80 °C for 24 h. The mixture was then collected into vial tubes and was centrifuged to get the pellet. The microplastic identification was conducted using a stereo microscope based on its size and shape. Based on the observation result, microplastic debris in the form of the filament was 49, 39, and 27 per individual in the duck sample from Salatiga, Semarang, and Magelang, respectively. The ingestion of plastic may come from duck feed, such as rough fish (mainly were obtained from the Java Sea) and water. This finding is essential to disseminate since microplastic contamination can be transferred from animals to humans and threaten health. Also, this result can contribute to policymakers deciding on plastic reduction.