Microplastic distribution in surface water and sediment river around slum and industrial area (case study: Ciwalengke River, Majalaya district, Indonesia)

Microplastic research in urban and industrial areas, including remote areas, have been conducted recently. However, there is still a lack of research about microplastic abundances in slum area. Ciwalengke River is located in Majalaya, Indonesia, which is dominated by slum and industrial areas that probably generate microplastics. This research was conducted to investigate the distribution of microplastic around the slum area for the first time. Surface water and sediment samples of the river were obtained at ten locations and grouped into six segments location based on different land use at the riverbank. Microplastic particles were identified using binocular microscope and categorized by shape and size. The average microplastic concentration were 5.85 ± 3.28 particles per liter of surface water and 3.03 ± 1.59 microplastic particles per 100 g of dry sediments. Microplastic concentration in the sediment samples were found to have significant differences in location segment (Kruskal Wallis test, p-value = 0.01165 < 0.05), but no significant differences were found in the water samples (Kruskal Wallis test; p-value = 0.654 > 0.05). In addition, microplastic distribution was dominated by fiber particle. More fiber shape might be derived from the direct clothing of residents in the river and fabric washing process in the textile industries. This was also revealed by Raman spectroscopy test of several microplastic particles indicating that the type of microplastic were polyester and nylon.