MICROPLASTICS POLLUTION IN RAWA JOMBOR, KLATEN, CENTRAL JAVA: ACCUMULATION IN AQUATIC FAUNA, INTERACTIONS WITH HEAVY METALS, AND HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

BASITH KUNCORO ADJI, Dr.rer.nat. Andhika Puspito Nugroho

2021 | Tesis | MAGISTER BIOLOGI

Keberlanjutan jangka panjang budidaya perikanan, restoran, dan wisata di Rawa Jombor, Indonesia, terancam dengan adanya polusi plastik. Isu ini sangat penting untuk diinvestigasi karena konsekuensi buruk terhadap kesehatan manusia sangat mungkin terjadi, terutama dengan pertimbangan meningkatnya kekhawatiran tentang kemampuan mikroplastik untuk menyerap senyawa berbahaya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari akumulasi dan karakterisasi mikroplastik pada fauna akuatik (zooplankton, benthos, dan ikan), air, dan sedimen; interaksinya dengan logam berat (Cd, Cu, Zn, dan Pb); dan penilaian risiko kesehatan. Mikroplastik diekstraksi dari fauna akuatik dan dikarakterisasi menggunakan mikroskop stereo, Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectro-scopy, dan Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Estimated Daily Intake, Target Hazard Quotients, Total Target Hazard Quotients, dan Target Cancer Risk dihitung untuk menilai risiko kesehatan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mikroplastik di air terdeteksi dengan konsentrasi tertinggi di saluran masuk utama (S1) dan di dekat restoran apung (S5); sementara di sedimen terdapat di dekat area eceng gondok (S2) yang melimpah. Akumulasi mikroplastik pada fauna akuatik mengikuti pola yang sama dengan konsentrasi di air, kecuali pada benthos. Logam berat teradsorpsi dengan konsentrasi tinggi pada permukaan mikroplastik. Konsentrasi mikroplastik pada fauna air terbukti meningkat melalui rantai makanan, yang mengindikasikan biomagnifikasi mungkin terjadi. Berdasarkan penilaian, ikan masih aman untuk dikonsumsi, tetapi konsumsi jangka panjang dapat menyebabkan kanker dengan Cd sebagai kontributor utama. Oleh karena itu, pengelolaan sampah plastik sangat penting dilakukan untuk memitigasi masalah ini dengan melibatkan seluruh pemangku kepentingan.

The long-term sustainability of aquaculture, restaurants, and tourism in the Rawa Jombor, Indonesia, is threatened by plastic pollution. It is critical to investigate this issue as it may have detrimental consequences for humans, especially given the growing concern about microplastics' capability to adsorb hazardous compounds. This investigation aims to study the accumulation and characterization of microplastics in aquatic fauna (zooplankton, benthos, and fish), water, and sediment; their interactions with heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, and Pb); and health risk assessment. Microplastics were extracted from aquatic fauna and characterized using a stereo microscope, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectro-scopy, and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Estimated Daily Intake, Target Hazard Quotients, Total Target Hazard Quotients, and Target Cancer Risk were calculated to assess health risk. The results showed that microplastics were detected with the highest concentration in the main inlet (S1) and near the floating restaurant (S5) in water; and near densely-populated water hyacinth (S2) in the sediment. Accumulated microplastics in aquatic fauna followed the same pattern with concentrations in water, except for benthos. Heavy metals were adsorbed with a high concentration on the surface of microplastics. Microplastics concentrations in aquatic fauna were shown to increase through food chains, indicating biomagnification might occur. Based on the assessment, fish was still safe to be consumed, but long-term consumption may cause cancer with Cd as the main contributor. Therefore, plastic waste management is essential to be pursued to mitigate this issue by involving all stakeholders.

Kata Kunci : microplastics, aquatic fauna, metal adsorption, health risk assessment