Yulia Irnidayanti, Marsha Daffa Purwanto, Agoes Soegianto, Mark G.J. Hartl, Hemen Sarma, Mahesh Narayan
Green mussels, a popular seafood in Jakarta, have been found to be contaminated with microplastics. Microplastics are hydrophobic, they can adsorb various pollutants, such as metals and persistent organic compounds, onto their surface, thereby increasing the potential for biomagnification through the trophic chain. Microplastic contamination in mussels is a growing concern and may pose health risks to consumers. This research aims to characterize the types of polymers, shape colors, abundance of microplastic, detect heavy metal contaminants on microplastic surfaces in the gills, and estimate the health risks associated with their consumption. The results showed that microplastics were detected in all 120 green mussels sampled, with fragments being the dominant type, followed by fibers and films. The average abundance of microplastics was 18 ± 9.4 particles per individual or 4 ± 2.8 per gram of wet tissue weight and the average wet weight was 4.9 ± 2.15 g. FTIR analysis identified 15 types of polymers, and polymer hazard levels led to risk categories I, II III and V, which is considered very dangerous to human health. The percentages of aluminum and lead on the surface of gill microplastics were 0.15 % and 0.01 %, respectively, while the percentage of aluminum identified in microplastics on the Whatman filter was 0.23 %. The estimated annual quantity of microplastics ingested by humans ranged from 10,192 items to 76,440 items among diverse age ranges. It is estimated that each person in Indonesia ingests 271,313 microplastics annually through the consumption of green mussels. The ingestion of microplastics also leads to the intake of associated heavy metals, posing significant risks to human health. © 2025
Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, The 6th Floor of Hasjim Asjarie Building, Rawamangun Muka, Jakarta, 13220, Indonesia; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia; Centre for Marine Biodiversity & Biotechnology, Institute of Life & Earth Sciences, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure & Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, United Kingdom; Bioremediation Technology Research Group, Department of Botany, Bodoland University, Kokrajhar, India; Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, 79968, TX, United States
Research at a Glance
Register to unlock
Topics & SDG Alignment
Register to unlock
Collaboration
Register to unlock
Author Profile (Selected)
Register to unlock
References Overview
Register to unlock
Journal & Source
Register to unlock
Metadata & Integrity
Register to unlock