Depth Profiles of Microplastic in Sediment Cores in the Mangrove Area of Kuala Gula Mangrove, Malaysia

Abstract

Microplastics are widespread in coastal and marine environments, and sediments serve as a sink for microplastics. In this study, four sediment cores were collected from the Kuala Gula Mangrove area. The abundance of microplastics in mangrove sediments ranged from 25–130 items/kg dry weight. The highest abundance of microplastic was observed at the KG04 site near the mouth of the river. The number of microplastics by sampling site was significantly different (p p p > 0.05). However, this study provides evidence that mangroves can be a trap for microplastics and can be used as baseline data for future studies.

Keywords

• microplastic
• sediment core
• mangrove area
• marine debris
• aquatic pollution