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Understanding the Extent of Microplastic Pollution in Penang’s River: A Baseline Study on Abundance and Distribution of Microplastic and Water Quality Parameters
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Researchers surveyed two rivers in northern Malaysia — Pinang River and Kerian River — to establish a baseline understanding of microplastic pollution in a region where such data were largely absent. They found microplastics in both rivers, with Kerian River showing higher concentrations; fragment-shaped particles dominated, and polycarbonate and nylon were identified as the main polymer types. This kind of baseline data is essential for tracking how pollution changes over time and for guiding cleanup or regulatory efforts in the region.
Microplastics are particles that can be found in various environments including aquatic soil and air. Presently, a lack of research exists concerning microplastic investigation in the northern peninsular of Malaysia. The objective of this study is to investigate the presence of microplastics in Pinang River and Kerian River and to correlate the microplastics presence with several in situ parameters. A water sample was taken, and the parameters measured were temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), conductivity (CDC) and turbidity (TUR). This study served as a baseline setting for subsequent microplastics research at Pinang River and Kerian River. The microplastics abundance in Kerian River was higher than microplastics abundance in Pinang River. Additionally, Microplastics fragment shaped dominates the other shape of microplastics. Polycarbonate and Nylon also were identified through ATR-FTIR analysis.
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