Microplastic contamination in mollusc polymesoda

Abstract

This study presents results and discuss on microplastic contamination in mollusc Polymesoda. It is a type of clam and also a common seafood. The problem is Polymesoda sp feed by filtering suspended particles in water that surrounds them and this includes microplastics. Study area at Sungai Pengkalan Datu (Pengkalan Datu) and Sungai Semerak (Tok Bali) were selected as it is known to be popular with fisherman. The main objectives of this study are to investigate the presence and abundance of microplastic in Polymesoda sp including physical characteristics (colour, shape and type) and to compare microplastics ingestion between two different locations. A number of specimen were collected and the laboratory works consist of sampel digestion with H2O2, density separation with NaCI, observation (stereomicroscope) and verification by Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) spectroscopy. Microplastics present in Polymesoda sp sample collected from Tok Bali and Pengkalan Datu was 0.67 items/individual and 0.83 items/individual. Meanwhile for abundance of microplastics by weight was 0.05 items/g (Tok Bali) and 0.02 items/g (Pengkalan Datu). ATR spectroscopy also showed a positive contamination of microplastics at both locations with 9 types of plastics identified.