We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
The Presence of Microplastics in Water, Sediment, and Milkfish (Chanos chanos) at the Downstream Area of Citarum River, Indonesia
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found microplastics in the water, sediment, and flesh of milkfish in Indonesia's heavily industrialized Citarum River, showing that plastic particles are moving through the food chain in a river that supports nearly 19 million people — meaning residents may be consuming microplastics through their local fish supply.
Citarum River is the largest natural stream in West Java, Indonesia, flowing across an area of 6614 km2. About 3000 industries discharge their wastewater into the stream, affecting almost 19 million people who live along the river. Considering the perseverance and the prospective toxicity of microplastics (MPs), investigating their concentrations in this river is critical to help illustrate the exposure of the risks to the residents of the area and beyond. This study was focused on identifying the MPs concentrations in the water, sediment, and milkfish (Chanos chanos). A volume-reduce method by using manta trawl was used to take water samples. Sediment and milkfish samples were taken using a grab sampling method. Digestion of fish was using Fenton oxidation method according to weighted ratio (1:5) and H2O2 30% (w/v). The average MPs concentration in the river was 0.0574 ± 0.025 particles/m3; in the seawater ponds 3.000 ± 2.645 particles/L; and in the mixed-water ponds, where the water from the river and the sea were mixed, 0.666 ± 0.577 particles/L. The average MPs concentration in the sediment of Citarum River was 16.666 ± 0.577 particles/100 g; in the seawater ponds 13.335 ± 1.527 particles/100 g; in the mixed-water ponds 11.665 ± 0.577 particles/100 g; and in the seawater 3.335 ± 0.331 particles/100 g. The average of MPs concentration in the gut and gills of milkfish in the seawater ponds was 2.666 ± 2.333 particles/fish, and in the mixed-water ponds was 1.166 ± 0.983 particles/fish. The average of MPs concentration in the milkfish tissues taken from the sea was 1.333 ± 0.577 particles/fish; and for the ones taken from the mixed-water ponds, the concentration was 1.111 ± 0.838 particles/fish. Using the Kruskal Wallis test to generate statistical analysis, there is a significant difference between the MPs concentrations in the water and sediment samples of Citarum River based on their locations (p value = 0.024 and 0.032 < 0.05). The most dominant plastic polymers in the samples were polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). There is no correlation between the level of MPs concentrations in water and sediments and the level of MPs concentrations in milkfish. However, the existence of microplastics in every sample that came from different points in the sampling area should sound an alarm, either to the local government or residents.
More Papers Like This
The abundance and characteristics of microplastics in different organs of both wild and farmed milkfish (Chanos chanos) from Madura, Indonesia
AI summary Read the abstract
Milkfish (a popular food fish in Indonesia) from ponds and coastal waters were found to have tiny plastic particles, mostly small fibers, in their gills, stomachs, and intestines, with pond-raised fish showing the highest levels. The plastics also carried chemical additives like plasticizers and lubricants, meaning that eating these fish could expose people to both microplastics and the chemicals attached to them, though this study didn't directly test human health effects.
Assessment of microplastic accumulation, genotoxicity, and gill histopathological alterations in wild herbivorous fishes from the Brantas River, Malang, Indonesia
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers assessed microplastic accumulation, genotoxicity, and gill tissue damage in wild herbivorous fish from the Brantas River in Indonesia, providing integrative evidence that microplastic pollution in tropical river systems causes measurable biological harm at the cellular and tissue level.
Microplastics ingestion by fish in the Pangandaran Bay, Indonesia
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined the digestive tracts of 18 fish from Pangandaran Bay, Indonesia, finding 193 microplastic particles across two species — predominantly fragments (50%) and films (27%) — and providing the first documented evidence of microplastic contamination in fish from that coastal region.
Microplastic Risk Assessment in River Sediments along the Cascading Dam System (Case Study: Midstream of the Citarum River, Indonesia)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers surveyed microplastic concentrations in sediments across the midstream Citarum River in Indonesia and found that dams significantly influence microplastic distribution, with the highest concentrations upstream of the first dam and ecological risk indices ranging from low to very dangerous. This baseline study highlights how hydraulic infrastructure acts as both a trap and a redistribution mechanism for microplastic pollution in heavily contaminated freshwater systems.
Microplastics Ingestion by Fish Species in Thailand’s Aquatic Ecosystems
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers synthesized data from 175 assessments of plastic ingestion by fish species across Thailand's aquatic habitats, revealing widespread microplastic occurrence and raising significant concerns about ecosystem health and the potential transfer of plastic contaminants to humans through seafood consumption.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.