Ecological Risk Assessment of Microplastic Pollution in Surface Water of the Kranji River Basin, Purwokerto, Indonesia

Microplastics are defined as small plastic particles with a diameter of less than 5 mm. The formation of microplastics occurs as a result of the degradation and fragmentation of macroplastics within the environment. This study was conducted in the Kranji river basin located in Banyumas Regency, specifically in Baturraden Subdistrict and East Purwokerto Subdistrict, which are the upstream and downstream points of the river. The findings of the study indicated that the upstream section exhibited lower results in comparison to the downstream section. The results of the microplastic identification process revealed that the detected microplastics manifested as fibres, films, and fragments. The microplastics detected exhibited an average size of 0.5 mm. The colour of microplastics detected included blue, yellow, green, black, red, orange, brown, and transparent. The majority of microplastics identified were black. The findings of the FTIR test indicated that all the microplastic samples that were successfully identified were composed of a polymer known as polyethylene (PE). The results of the study demonstrate that the microplastic pollution risk analysis indicates a location that is both polluted and at medium risk. The analysis results indicate that elevated microplastic pollution levels in the Kranji River may potentially contribute to an escalation in the risk of microplastic-contaminated aquatic environments by 97.6%. A recent study has revealed the presence of microplastics in surface water samples collected from the Kranji River, indicating potential contamination in both the upstream and downstream areas of the river basin