IDENTIFICATION OF CHARACTERISTICS AND ANALYSIS OF MICROPLASTIC ABUNDANCE IN FISH: A COMPARISON BETWEEN RIVER FISH AND FARMED FISH IN THE CITARUM RIVER AREA

• Main Author: Abdurrahman Mustofa, Farhan
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik saniter dan perkotaan; teknik perlindungan lingkungan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/86203
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Microplastics are formed due to environmental degradation, breaking down plastics into very small forms, reaching micro sizes. As microplastics travel, they contaminate aquatic ecosystems. One of the aquatic organisms easily exposed to microplastics is fish. A research study was conducted in the Citarum River and fish ponds around the Citarum River area for sampling, with sample processing carried out in the Environmental Engineering laboratory. The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in characteristics and concentrations of microplastics between fish that inhabit the river and those in fish ponds. The research involved sampling fish from the river and fish ponds, then extracting gills and guts. Subsequently, extraction was performed using the Fenton oxidation method. The characteristics and abundance of microplastics were analyzed using a microscope, and the determination of microplastic polymers was analyzed using FTIR. The results showed that the average abundance of microplastics in river fish is 103 particles/fish and in farmed fish is 52 particles/fish. The size characteristics of microplastics in river and farmed fish ranged from smallest to largest: 3001-5000 µm, 300-500 µm, 501-1000 µm, and 1001-3000 µm. The color characteristics in river and farmed fish varied, including gray, blue, brown, green, black, yellow, red, transparent, and purple. The microplastic form characteristics studied, from least to most common, were film, fiber, and fragments. Based on the Fulton's index, no correlation found between the physical condition of the fish and the abundance of microplastics in the fish.