Microplastics characteristics of lorjuk Solen sp. in east coastal waters of Surabaya

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles with sizes between <1 m to 5 mm. Microplastics are known to contaminate the environment and marine organisms. One type of marine organism that is often found on the east coast of the city of Surabaya is Lorjuk, namely bamboo shells or razor clams. Lorjuk is seafood and is known as a typical food of the city of Surabaya. This study aims to determine the potential for microplastic pollution in Lorjuk (Solen sp.) from 3 locations on the east coast of the city of Surabaya. Lorjuk observed were adult Lorjuk with a size of 5-6 cm. With the nature of Lorjuk as an infauna and filter feeder, microplastic observations were also carried out on sediment and water. The number, shape, color, size, and polymer type of microplastics were observed using an optical microscope and FTIR spectrophotometer. MPs were found in all samples of Lorjuk in the three locations, with an average number of 6-7 MPs/ind. The physical characteristics of microplastics indicate that fiber is the dominant form of microplastic (>90%) with the majority being blue. The MPs found in Lorjuk have an average size of 20-40 μm with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) polymer. The results of the Pearson correlation test showed that there was an effect of the relationship between the number of microplastics found in Lorjuk and microplastics in the environment around where Lorjuk lived (water column and sediment).