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Microplastic pollution profile in the Indian Ocean of the Southern Java Island, Indonesia
Summary
A survey of 17 sites along the southern coast of Java Island found microplastics throughout beach sand, seawater, and seabed sediment, with fragments and fibers being most common and black and transparent particles dominating. The study identifies wide spatial variation across Indonesia's most populous island, providing baseline data to support the country's national marine debris strategy targeting 2025.
The emergence and proliferation of vast quantities of microplastics (MPs) in the marine environment has sparked significant scientific concern. However, there is scant evidence on the pollution profile of MPs in Indonesia. In this study, the MP profile combining land source-based data of the southern Java Island was studied. Seventeen sampling points across West Java, Central Java, and East Java provinces were studied. The abundance of MPs in sand, water, and sediment were in the range of 177-805 particles/m2, 75-1013 particles, and 124-961 particles/100 g, respectively. The color, shape, and physicochemical properties of the collected samples were characterized using a photomicroscope, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and a scanning electron microscope, respectively. From the study, it was found that the most abundant MP category was fragments, followed by fiber, film, foam, and pellet. The most common MP colors observed in the three provinces were black (64%), transparent (55.74%), and red (34.27%). Fifteen types of MP were identified, with Tencel, Bemberg, tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene contributing more than 75% of the chemical composition. The spatial variation of detected MPs for all three provinces is quite significant, which can serve as a foundation for developing successful national marine pollution management policies, as outlined in Indonesia's National Strategy for Combating Marine Debris for 2025, as well as potentially develop inventories in the marine environment.