CONTAMINATION OF MICROPLASTICS IN CULTURED SEAWEED OF Kappaphycus alvarezii, NORTH AND NORTHWEST COASTS OF SRI LANKA

.truncate-component { position: relative; overflow: hidden; display: -webkit-box; line-clamp: 16; -webkit-line-clamp: 16; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; } .toggle-truncation-button { display: none; position: absolute; bottom: 0; right: 0; } Microplastics (MPs) contamination in marine biota has negative impact to the human health. It has been linked to marine macroalgae, which serve as a vector for the movement of microplastics through the marine food web. This study was conducted to quantify and characterize the MPs in the edible dry seaweed of Kappaphycus alvarezii at eight cultivated sites. Dry seaweed samples were collected in each sampling site during 17th September and 22nd of December 2020 in North and Northwest coasts of Sri Lanka. Seaweed samples were analyzed for two size classes (300 µm-1mm and <300 µm) of MPs in triplicate at each site. The particles belong to two size classes of MPs were counted and identified using light microscope. Total of 24 seaweed samples were analyzed and found that mean (±SE) total MP abundance is 12.33±1.095 items/50g and abundance varied significantly among the study sites (One-way ANOVA; p<0.05). Significantly higher abundance of total MPs and large MPs was reported in Pallikuda, Kiranchi, Walaipadu 1 and Silawathurai sites than that of other sites. However, abundance of small MPs was not varied significantly among the sampling sites (p<0.05). Composition analysis of shape categories showed that fibre in size class of 300µm-1 mm was dominated in seaweed sampling site with 71.6% followed by film (5.35%), foam (11.93%), fragments (10.7%) and sphere (0.41%). In size class of < 300 µm , fibre were dominated in study sites with 62.26% followed by fragments (28.3%), form (3.77%) and film (5.66%). Composition analysis of five types of shape categories in total MPs revealed that ... Read more