Sains Malaysiana 51(4)(2022): 993-1004

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5104-04

Laboratory Experiment on Copper and Lead Adsorption Ability of Microplastics

(Uji Kaji Makmal tentang Keupayaan Penjerapan Mikroplastik Kuprum dan Plumbum)

PATRICIA BLAIR GOH^1,2, SIRIPORN PRADIT^1,2,*, PRAWIT TOWATANA^1,2, SOMKIAT KHOKKIATIWONG³ & ONG MENG CHUAN^4,5

¹Marine and Coastal Resources Institute, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand

²Coastal Oceanogarphy and Climate Change Research Center, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand

³Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Bangkok 10210, Thailand

⁴Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 20130 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

⁵Ocean Pollution and Ecotoxicology Research Group, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 20130 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

Received: 28 June 2021/ Accepted: 15 August 2021

Abstract

The persistent presence of microplastics in the marine environment has become a major threat to many marine organisms and this issue continues with heavy metals pollution. Microplastics and heavy metals are commonly categorized in different type of pollutant group and the understanding of interlinkage between these two contaminants is less discovered. During 7 days laboratory controlled experimentation, we examined the heavy metals; copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) adsorption ability of microplastics fragment derived from plastic straws and plastic grocery bags. We found that both microplastic types adsorbed the two heavy metals through exposure to Cu and Pb spiked seawater with different concentrations, respectively. The adsorption kinetics was represented using partition coefficients that resulted in coefficients between the microplastic fragments and water ranged between 5 and 28 for Cu on plastic straws and bags fragment; 3 and 35 for Pb. The adsorption of Cu and Pb both was significantly higher in plastic bag micro fragments, probably due to higher surface area and polarity. Throughout the experiments time expansion, the concentrations of Cu and Pb significantly increased on both microplastic types. The results of consequential interaction between the selected microplastics and heavy metals strongly support the condition of microplastic ability to adsorb heavy metals and act as a vector for heavy metal ions distribution in the marine ecosystem.

Keywords: Adsorption; heavy metals; microplastics

Abstrak

Kehadiran mikroplastik yang berterusan dalam persekitaran marin telah menjadi salah satu ancaman utama pada kebanyakan organisma laut dan isu ini menjadi lebih serius bila digabungkan dengan pencemaran logam berat. Mikroplastik dan logam berat secara lazimnya dikategorikan dalam kumpulan bahan pencemar yang berbeza. Pemahaman serta pengetahuan tentang hubungan dan interaksi antara kedua-dua bahan pencemar ini masih sedikit. Kami mengkaji kemampuan mikroplastik yang dihasilkan daripada serpihan straw dan beg plastik untuk menyerap logam berat; tembaga (Cu) dan plumbum (Pb). Kami mendapati bahawa kedua-dua jenis serpihan mikroplastik ini berupaya untuk menyerap logam berat tersebut melalui pendedahan kepada air laut yang dicampur dengan Cu dan Pb dalam sukatan kepekatan yang berbeza. Daya kinetik penyerapan ditunjukkan melalui pekali pemetakan dengan nilai pekali antara serpihan mikroplastik dan air dalam lingkungan 5 dan 28 untuk Cu serta 3 dan 35 untuk Pb. Penyerapan Cu dan Pb adalah lebih tinggi dan ketara untuk serpihan beg plastik mungkin disebabkan kawasan permukaan yang lebih luas dan kekutuban yang lebih tinggi. Sepanjang tempoh pendedahan 7 hari, kepekatan Cu dan Pb dalam kedua-dua jenis mikroplastik meningkat dengan ketara. Hasil kajian ini membuktikan interaksi berlaku antara mikroplastik dan logam berat dalam masa yang sama menyokong keadaan kemampuan mikroplastik untuk menyerap logam berat serta bertindak sebagai vektor yang boleh menyebarkan logam berat dalam ekosistem marin.

Kata kunci: Logam berat; mikroplastik; penjerapan

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^*Corresponding author; email: siriporn.pra@psu.ac.th