The Presence of Microplastics and Plasticizers in Different Tissues of Mullet (Mugil cephalus) Along the East Java Coast in Indonesia

This is the first study to examine the presence and physicochemical properties of microplastics in mullets (Mugil cephalus) from four coastal areas in East Java, Indonesia. Three locations on the north coast are affected by two largest rivers, Bengawan Solo River and Brantas River, whereas one location in the south coast is slightly impacted by river flow. The abundance, color, shape, and size were examined in the gills, stomach, and intestines of fish samples. The average abundance of microplastics was 10.87 particles/individual in gills, 7.43 particles/individual in stomach, and 4.35 particles/individual in intestines. Black (72.4%) and pellets (62.7%) were the most abundant microplastics found. Most of them are in size of less than 100 μm (71.0%). Microplastics type of polymer was identified with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, while the chemical compounds including additives such as plasticizers contained in MPs samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Seven different types of polymers were identified, including polyethylene, polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polycarbonate. Cyclohexadiene, one of the plasticizers detected, has the highest concentration of 81.82%.