Abundance of microplastics in some zooplankton groups at Hat Pak Meng, Trang Province, the Andaman Sea
Keywords:
PET, µFT-IR, microplastics, calanoid copepods, shrimp larvaeAbstract
Plastic debris, especially microplastics have become a concern in marine environmental studies worldwide. Marine organisms can ingest microplastics and transfer them along with the food web. Zooplankton comprises producers and primary consumers, including the larval phase of many economically important species that play critical roles in the marine food chain. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the characteristics and abundance of microplastics ingested by three zooplankton groups. Samples were collected at Hat Pak Meng, Trang Province, then preserved in 10% buffered formalin. The calanoid copepods, chaetognaths, and shrimp larvae were separated and then treated with H2O2 until completely digested. The microplastics particles were characterized by using µFT-IR. Our results revealed that the highest abundance of microplastics was found in shrimp larvae (0.70±0.10 particles/individual). The calanoid copepod showed highest abundance of microplastics per collection area (462.71±50.42 particles/m3), much higher than previous reports in that area about microplastics abundance per m³ of seawater. The size of microplastics ingested had a positive correlation with the size of zooplankton. The characterization of microplastics by using µ-FT-IR revealed the presence of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane foam, and rayon. PET and rayon showed high abundance in many places because they were used for clothing, beverage container, and food packaging. Our results revealed that the microplastics accumulated in the zooplankton might be potentially transferred through the marine food chain. Hat Pak Meng is occupied by human settlements a popular tourism destination. Therefore, measures to reduce the microplastics contamination on its coastal ecosystems are urgently required.
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