Microplastics Determination in the Rivers with Different Urbanisation Variances: A Case Study in Kuching City, Sarawak, Malaysia

Authors

  • GEORGINA JOHNSON Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • WEN SAN HII Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • SAMUEL LIHAN Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • MENG GUAN TAY Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33736/bjrst.2475.2020

Abstract

The presence of microplastics in aquatic systems is mainly due to the anthropogenic activities such as domestic waste dumping. Undeniably, rivers either in urban or suburban areas are always a waste dumpling sites from the surrounding residences. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between microplastic abundance and different degree of urbanization across Kuching in Sarawak. Three sampling locations with different degrees of urbanisation had been studied across Kuching. A total of 137 pieces of microplastics were collected along the study and analysed using stereoscopic microscope for the shape identification and FTIR spectrophotometer for functional groups present in the microplastics. Filament was the most abundant microplastics shape found, whereas the IR results showed that ethylenevinylacetate (9%), polyamides or nylon (15%), polypropylene (42%), poly(methylmethacrylate) (16%) and polystyrene (18%) were found in the study. The most abundant microplastics in the water samples was polypropylene (42%), whereas ethylenevinylacetate (9%) was the least. The degree of urbanisation does not directly relate to the microplastic present in the river system in Kuching City, but the anthropogenic activity is the main factor that affecting the microplastic abundance in the river.

 

Keywords: anthropologenic activity, FTIR, microplastics, polymer identification, urban, sub-urban

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Published

2020-12-31

How to Cite

JOHNSON, G. ., HII, W. S., LIHAN, S., & TAY, M. G. (2020). Microplastics Determination in the Rivers with Different Urbanisation Variances: A Case Study in Kuching City, Sarawak, Malaysia. Borneo Journal of Resource Science and Technology, 10(2), 116–125. https://doi.org/10.33736/bjrst.2475.2020