ANALYSIS OF CONCENTRATION, CHARACTERISTICS, AND POTENTIAL RISK OF AIRBORNE MICROPLASTICS (AMP) EXPOSURE IN BANDUNG CITY

• Main Author: Alina Aprilia Hidayat, Nur
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik saniter dan perkotaan; teknik perlindungan lingkungan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/77956
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Plastics are widely used in human daily life and can degrade into small fragments (<5 mm) called microplastics. Microplastics are present in aquatic environments, sediments, soil, dust, atmosphere, snow and biota. Microplastic studies are currently focused on the aquatic environment, while the study of microplastics in the air, hereinafter referred to as Airborne Microplastics (AMP) is still limited. The AMP study in this research was conducted in Bandung City. The purpose of this study was to determine the concentration, characteristics (polymer type, diameter, and shape), and potential risk of AMP exposure in Bandung City. Analysis of AMP concentration, polymer type, and shape was conducted based on 3 aerodynamic diameters (PM>10, PM2.5-10, and PM<2.5). The analysis was conducted using Micro Fourier Transform Infra Red (?FTIR). The results of the analysis were used to determine the potential risk of AMP exposure to the environment and health based on the Risk Index (IR) and human inhalation rate. The analysis showed that the highest AMP concentrations in sample 1 and sample 3 were at PM<2.5 of 2.65 MP/m3 and 5.88 MP/m3 , respectively. While in sample 2 and sample 4, the highest concentrations were at PM>10 amounting to 0.83 MP/m3 and 6.05 MP/m3 , respectively. The majority of AMP in the three aerodynamic diameters of all samples had a polymer type of Polyethylene (PE) (98.17%). The majority of AMP in the three aerodynamic diameters of all samples had a diameter of 1 – 10 ?m and 10-20 ?m with an average diameter of 21.23 ?m. The majority of AMP in the three aerodynamic diameters of all samples had the form of fragments (76.56%). The potential risk of AMP exposure to the environment in Bandung City is low. The highest potential risk of AMP exposure in humans is in males aged 18 to < 30 years and females aged 10 to < 18 years.