Bioaccumulation of Microplastic in Intertidal Gastropods from Southern Java, Indonesia: Abundance in Relation Feeding Guild

Abstract

The researchers examined how microplastics accumulate in three gastropod species with different feeding patterns collected from Balekambang Beach, Java. Microplastics were found in all specimens, dominated by fragments (94.51%), followed by fibres (4.68%), with particles primarily sized 20–40 µm and predominantly black. Analysis identified polystyrene and nylon polymers. Microplastic abundance exhibited a clear gradient across feeding guilds: highest in detritivores (148.21 particles/g), intermediate in carnivores (143.82 particles/g), and lowest in herbivores (56.19 particles/g), demonstrating that feeding ecology significantly shapes bioaccumulation patterns in these marine organisms.

Edo Danilyan

PhD Researcher

Interested in data science.