Microplastics Isolated From Shellfish Paratapes undulatus From Kuala Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract Due to constant large-scale production and poor management, plastic litter have been creating serious environmental issue in recent years. These microplastics with a diameter of 5 mm and 1 µm enter the marine ecosystem and were easily ingested by marine animals which are later consumed by humans in the form of seafood. The goal of this study was to determine the types of microplastics that can be found in Paratapes undulatus in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 30 P. undulatus samples were collected from Kuala Selangor and soft tissue were dissected and digested using NaOH. The digestate was then vacuum filtered using vacuum pump in order to obtain the microplastics. Microplastics were identified based on its physical characteristics under microscopic examination (colour, shape and size). FTIR was used to examine the functional groups of microplastics to determine the type of polymers. P. undulatus had a total of 2072 microplastics. In terms of colors and shapes, the majority of microplastics detected were black (64.48%) and fibres (97.2%). The largest abundance was found in the size ranges within 0.5 to 1 µm and 1 to 2 µm. Polystyrene (PS) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were two microplastics polymers found. As a result, microplastics were successfully identified from P. undulatus, indicating the presence of microplastics pollution in the marine ecology. More research can be done on the toxicity and potential threats of microplastics to human when consumed as seafood.