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Identification and Characterization of Microplastics on the Surface Water in Laguna de Bay, Philippines
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Researchers collected and characterized 890 microplastic particles from surface water at three sites in Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the Philippines, using visual microscopy and FTIR analysis. Fibres dominated the samples, photodegradation was evident from colour changes, and polyethylene was the most common polymer type identified.
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines. It is surrounded by developing cities that pollute the lake with plastics from different industrial and domestic activities. In the study, microplastics were collected from the lake’s surface water through three (3) collection points within the lake. The collection of microplastics was conducted from August 2018 to October 2018. About eight-hundred ninety (890) microplastics were collected and cataloged. Among the collection sites, ‘Brgy. Sampiruhan’ has the most microplastics, with a median of 15 ranging from 11-24 microplastics per 1000 L of lake water. On the other hand, ‘Brgy. Napindan’ has a median of 4 which ranges from 2-6 microplastics per 1000 L, and ‘Brgy. San Isidro’ has a median of 6 which ranges from 4-24 microplastics per 1000 L. Image analysis revealed that microplastics from this site were larger and angular. The color analysis shows signs of whitening and yellowing of the plastic materials, which suggests that the microplastics undergo photodegradation. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) found that most of the microplastics in the lake are made of polyethylene and its derivatives. Microplastics in Laguna de Bay show the continuous plastic pollution in the Philippines’ largest lake.
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Microplastics in surface water of Laguna de Bay: first documented evidence on the largest lake in the Philippines
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The first microplastic survey of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the Philippines, detected 100 microplastic particles across 10 surface water sampling sites with a mean density of 14.29 items per square meter. Fibers and fragments were the dominant forms, with polyethylene and polypropylene as the most common polymer types.
Microplastics in surface water of Laguna de Bay: First documented evidence on the largest lake in the Philippines
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Microplastics were detected for the first time in the surface water of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the Philippines, at all ten sampling stations. Fibers were the dominant type, consistent with textile sources, and concentrations varied across the lake. The study establishes the first baseline data on microplastic contamination in a major Philippine freshwater body.
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Scientists tested a major Philippine lake — an important source of fish for local communities — and found tiny plastic fragments scattered throughout the water and, in even higher amounts, settled into the lake bottom sediments. The plastics likely come from everyday items like food packaging, bottle caps, and fishing gear, meaning the fish people eat from this lake could be absorbing these particles too. While researchers didn't find a clear link between water pollution levels and plastic contamination, the widespread presence of microplastics signals a need for better waste management to protect both the lake ecosystem and the people who depend on it for food.
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Researchers found microplastic contamination in shoreline sediments across three sites in northern Laguna Lake, the Philippines, with concentrations ranging from 296 to 1826 particles per kilogram of sediment, with fragment and fiber types linked to local aquaculture, clothing, and packaging materials.
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