Microplastics contamination in cockles and green mussels distributed in local markets in Semarang-ICAFAT 2018

Indonesia has been indicated as the second largest contributor of mismanaged plastic waste ending up in the ocean. Java, as the most populated island in Lrdonesia, contributes 0.116 - 0.145 million tonnes plastics waste per yeaf. This may lead to massive accumulation of microplastics in this coastal area and through thropic transfer these pollutants may contaminate commonly consumed seafood species. Our previous study revealed the presence of microplastics in some seafood species collected from coastal areas in Semarang. In this study, we investigated microplastics contamination in widely consumed bivalves that are distributed in Semarang. Cockles (Anadara granosa) and green mussels (Perna viridis) were taken from three local markets in Semarang. The microplastic materials were extracted using alkaline digestion and followed by NaI treatrnent to isolate the particles. The microscope observation was performed to detect microplastic particles. The result showed that both cockles and green mussels taken from the local markets in Semarang contained microplastics in the form of fragment, fiber, spheres, and film. These findings highlight that microplastics have been contaminated our daily food. Further investigation on the risk of ingested microplastics to human health will be urgently neede