Indonesia is the second-largest contributor of microplastics (MPs) pollution in the marine ecosystem. Most MPs pollution-related studies in Indonesia focus on seawater, sediment, with less information found on the commercially important fish species used for human consumption. Skipjack Tuna (Euthynnus affinis) is one of the major exporting fishery commodities from Indonesia. This exploratory study aimed to determine MPs presence in the digestive tract of Skipjack Tuna from the Southern Coast of Java, Indonesia. The fish samples were collected from five different fish traditional auction market along the Southern Coast of Java, Indonesia, namely Pangandaran, Pamayang Sari, Ciletuh, Santolo, and Palabuhan Ratu. The gastrointestinal tract of Skipjack tuna was pretreated using alkaline destruction and filtered. The presence of MPs in the treated samples was visually identified using an optical microscope, while Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) contaminants were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 19 suspected MPs particles were found in the form of filament (84%), angular (11%), and round (5%). This result would provide a better indication of the MPs contamination in marine life species in the Southern Coast of Java, Indonesia, as useful information for marine environmental monitoring program in the future.
The paper provides new insights into marine environments and human activities and suggests plastic waste should be controlled through laws that regulate waste sources and plastic additives in order to solve the problem of plastic accumulation in the oceans.
The paper strengthens the evidence that microplastics are present in the studied biota, suggesting that they are transferred between trophic levels through the interconnected food chain/web. The presence of micro plastics in fish guts highlights the need for further research on processing interventions for reducing microplastic contamination.
PPE (face masks and gloves) were surveyed at six Indian beaches. There were 496 PPE counted with an average density of 1.08 × 10−3 PPE m−2. Previous studies found similar PPE density. Face masks accounted for 98.39% of all PPE recorded, while gloves accounted for only 1.61%. As a result of the increase in vaccination[…]
The research seeks to depict and reduce marine plastic pollution in India. A GIS map has been created to show plastic input from different river basins. In order to address the challenges of marine litter in India, a guiding model has been developed. According to the predictive model, India produces 536 thousand tons of municipal[…]
Plastic research, policies, waste management, socioeconomics, challenges, and opportunities are discussed. Marine plastic studies have focused on a few locations, providing information on distribution and interactions with organisms. In addition to scientific investigation, enforcement, improvisation, and, if necessary, framing new policies, integrated technologies to manage plastic waste are essential.