Journal Article

Microplastics in surface water of Laguna de Bay: first documented evidence on the largest lake in the Philippines

Navarro, Carl Kenneth P., Torres, Armi G., Inocente, Sherley Ann T., Banda, Marybeth Hope T., Capangpangan, Rey Y., Bacosa, Hernando P., Arcadio, Cris Gel Loui A., Similatan, Kaye M., Ancla, Sheila Mae B.

2023

Overview

The pollution of aquatic systems by microplastics is a well-known environmental problem. However, limited studies have been conducted in freshwater systems, especially in the Philippines. Here, we determined for the first time the amount of microplastics in the Philippines’ largest freshwater lake, the Laguna de Bay. Ten (10) sampling stations on the lake’s surface water were sampled using a plankton net. Samples were extracted and analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A total of 100 microplastics were identified from 10 sites with a mean density of 14.29 items/m 3 . Most microplastics were fibers (57%), while blue-colored microplastics predominated in the sampling areas (53%). There were 11 microplastic polymers identified, predominantly polypropylene (PP), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which together account for 65% of the total microplastics in the areas. The results show that there is a higher microplastic density in areas with high relative population density, which necessitates implementing proper plastic waste management measures in the communities operating on the lake and in its vicinity to protect the lake's ecosystem services. Furthermore, future research should also focus on the environmental risks posed by these microplastics, especially on the fisheries and aquatic resources.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Acetic acid / Aquatic ecosystems / Aquatic environment / Aquatic Pollution / Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution / Bays / Copolymers / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecosystem / Ecosystem services / ecosystems / Ecotoxicology / Environment / Environmental Chemistry / Environmental Health / Environmental Monitoring - methods / Environmental risk / Ethylene vinyl acetates / ethylene-vinyl acetate / Fisheries / Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy / Fourier transforms / freshwater / Freshwater lakes / Infrared analysis / Infrared spectroscopy / Lakes - chemistry / Microplastics / Philippines / Plankton / Plastic debris / Plastic pollution / Plastics / pollution / Polyethylene terephthalate / polyethylene terephthalates / Polymers / Polypropylene / polypropylenes / Population density / Research Article / Sampling / Surface water / Vinyl acetate / Waste management / Waste Water Technology / Water / Water Management / Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis / Water Pollution Control