Microplastic pollution in the surface water of Lake Singkarak, Indonesia

Abstract

Microplastic pollution is already at an “alarming” level in Indonesia’s marine and freshwater ecosystems. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has reported the microplastic occurrence in the lake ecosystem in Indonesia. Lake Singkarak, a big tectonic lake, has been considered one of the priority lakes to be restored. The lake receives a high influx of plastic waste from rivers and catchment runoff. Controlling the outflow through the hydropower dam and the sluice in the main lake outlet may prevent the microplastic’s outflux. The study’s objective was to determine the microplastic first occurrence and abundance in the lake’s surface water. Water samples were collected from three sites in the lake inlet area, one in the intake area of the hydropower dam and one in the outlet area, by performing four parallel trawls in each site using a modified plankton net. The most abundant microplastics in the lake’s surface water were 9 particles/m3 in the lake inlet area, which received a high plastic waste input from the river. The lowest abundance was 2 particles/m3 in the main lake outlet area. Foams and fragments, white and clear in color, size of 300 μm, were the dominant types of microplastics observed. Our preliminary study suggests that the lake could act as a sink of microplastics. Therefore, ceasing the input sources of plastic waste from the river should be prioritized to prevent further microplastic pollution of Lake Singkarak.

Temporal Variation of Microplastic Abundances and Characteristics in Surface Water of Banger River of Pekalongan City, Indonesia

“…Figure 4 shows examples of microscope images of microplastics in this study. Throughout the sampling process at various locations, the predominant type of microplastics observed was film-shaped particles, which is consistent with previous findings in Surabaya River, rivers in Greater Semarang, and Singkarak Lake (Lestari et al, 2020; Andarani et al, 2023; Henny et al, 2022). Similarities between the film particles found in this study and debris from aged plastic packaging further support the notion that these particles originate from the degradation of plastic bags and packaging materials (Mohamed Nor and Obbard, 2014).…”

“…Compared to other studies, the microplastic abundances observed in this research were relatively low. For instance, the Jeneberang River exhibited higher microplastic abundance, ranging from 5.77 ± 1.25 to 3.93 ± 1.32 particles/L (Wicaksono et al, 2021), while Lake Singkarak recorded 9.23 ± 2.14 items/m 3 (Henny et al, 2022).…”

Monitoreo de microplásticos superficiales en el lago de Coatepeque, 2021-2022

“…Kye et al ( 2023) consideraron que el desarrollo urbano, tamaño y morfología del cuerpo de agua, así como la hidrodinámica local inciden en la abundancia y distribución de MP, lo que coincide con los altos niveles observados en la zona de muestreo norte, donde existe una concentración importante de infraestructura dedicada al turismo. También se ha asociado a las actividades agrícolas y conductas de turistas con la contaminación por MP en lagos (Henny et al, 2022). Posiblemente los vientos están asociados a la dispersión espacial y abundancia de MP al centro y al este del lago de Coatepeque en el mes de enero (Figura 1), aunque su origen no se pudo documentar.…”

Microplastic pollution in two industrial locations of the Karnaphuli River, Bangladesh: insights on abundance, types, and characteristics

“…The presence of MPs was initially observed in coastal waters of North America during the 1970s (Carpenter et al, 1972). Nonetheless, the presence of MP pollution remains a substantial worldwide issue, with their detection reported in various aquatic settings such as oceans, rivers, lakes, estuaries, reservoirs, and even in harsh environments like Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean (Bellasi et al, 2020;Cunningham et al, 2022;Henny et al, 2022;Villegas et al, 2021). The durability, accumulation, and harmful effects on aquatic organisms make MPs an increasingly concerning environmental issue (Wardrop et al, 2016).…”