Kandungan Mikroplastik pada Air Serta Spesies Ikan di Perairan Simanindo, Danau Toba, Sumatera Utara

Abstract

Activities in the waters of Lake Toba affect the condition of the aquatic environment and contribute to the presence of microplastics. One of the significant environmental issues worth discussing is the presence of microplastics in these waters. Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size. There are three primary processes of microplastic formation: biological, chemical, and physical. Microplastics can contaminate fish by accumulating in their organs, such as the gills and digestive tract. The purpose of this study was to determine the forms and abundance of microplastics in the respiratory and digestive tracts of fish. The research was conducted from November to December 2024. The average abundance of microplastics in water samples ranged from 21 to 57 particles per gram. In digestive tract samples, it ranged from 37 to 42 particles per gram of dry weight, while in respiratory tract samples, it ranged from 9 to 159 particles per gram of dry weight. The microplastics found were in the form of films, fibers, fragments, and pellets.