Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 21 No 5 (2017): 1054 - 1064

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/mjas-2017-2105-07

 

 

 

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF MICROPLASTIC ABUNDANCE IN Lates calcarifer FROM SETIU WETLANDS, MALAYSIA

 

(Pemisahan dan Pencirian Plastik-Mikro di dalam Lates calcarifer dari Tanah Bencah Setiu, Malaysia)

 

Yusof Shuaib Ibrahim*, Ruthra Rathnam, Sabiqah Tuan Anuar, Wan Mohd Afiq Wan Mohd Khalik

 

School of Marine and Environmental Sciences,

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  yusofshuaib@umt.edu.my

 

 

Received: 20 July 2017; Accepted: 14 September 2017

 

 

Abstract

The presence of microplastics (<1 mm) in wild and cage-cultured Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) was successfully studied. Fish samples were collected from Setiu Wetlands in October 2016. Microplastics were isolated from fish samples using the alkaline solution method (10 M of NaOH solution). Microplastics were sorted visually according to their shapes and colours after being observed under dissecting microscope. A total of 4,498 pieces of microplastics were identified and threadlike shape was the most abundant microplastic particles found during this study. The identification of functional groups in the composition of microplastics was achieved using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Microplastics, with the presence of strong peaks at ʋ=3342 cm^-1 (N-H str), 1510 cm^-1 (N-H bend) and ʋ=1706 cm^-1 (C=O str) are associated with the materials consist of polyamide. Additionally, peaks related to the polyvinyl alcohol groups are recorded at ʋ= 3321 – 4323 cm^-1 (O-H str), 1706 cm^-1 (C=O str), 1219 cm^-1 (O-H wag) and ʋ=1028 – 1128 cm^-1 (C-O str). The abundance levels of microplastics ingested by wild and cage-cultured fishes are statistically significantly different, p <0.05.

 

Keywords:  Asian sea bass, fish ingestion, microplastics, polymer, wetland environment

 

Abstrak

Kemunculan plastik-mikro (<1 mm) di dalam ikan siakap liar dan sangkar ternakan (Lates calcarifer) telah berjaya dikaji. Sampel ikan diambil dari tanah bencah Setiu semasa bulan Oktober 2016. Plastik-mikro telah diasingkan daripada sampel ikan mengunakan kaedah larutan beralkali (10 M larutan NaOH). Plastik-mikro telah diasingkan secara visual dibawah mikroskop mengikut perbezaan warna dan bentuk. Sejumlah 4,498 pecahan plastik-mikro telah dikenalpasti dan bentuk benang merupakan partikel yang paling kerap dijumpai semasa kajian ini dijalankan. Pengenalpastian kumpulan berfungsi bagi komposisi plastik-mikro telah dicapai menggunakan spektroskopi FTIR. Analisis plastik-mikro menunjukkan kehadiran puncak yang jelas pada ʋ=3342 cm^-1 (N-H str), 1510 cm^-1 (N-H bend) dan ʋ=1706 cm^-1 (C=O str) bagi komposisi polimer kumpulan poliamida. Tambahan, puncak yang menunjukan kehadiran kumpulan polivinil alkohol dicatatkan pada ʋ= 3321 – 4323 cm^-1 (O-H str), 1706 cm^-1 (C=O str), 1219 cm^-1 (O-H wag) dan ʋ=1028 – 1128 cm^-1 (C-O str). Aras kehadiran plastik-mikro yang dihadam oleh ikan liar dan sangkar ternakan adalah berbeza secara signifikan, p < 0.05.

 

Kata kunci:  ikan siakap, penghadaman oleh ikan, plastik-mikro, polimer, persekitaran tanah bencah

 

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