Andi Kurniawan, Luthfia Ayu Dhea, Siti Mariyah Ulfa, Adi Tiya Yanuar, Ilham Misbakudin Al Zamzami, Nurjannah
Microplastics are a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems, including the upper Brantas River in Indonesia, by acting as carriers for biofilms that accumulate pollutants like heavy metals. This study analyses the biofilms on microplastics collected from the Brantas River and assesses water quality parameters (temperature, pH, current velocity, DO, BOD, TDS, nitrate, phosphate, TSS) using Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) to explore relationships with microplastics. FTIR is used to identify microplastic polymers. SEM-EDX analyses heavy metal content in biofilms. Microplastics, mainly fragments (60–75%), range from 18.11 to 3.31 particles/L. Polymers identified include PE, PVC, PP, HDPE, LDPE, PET, PC, and nylon. SEM-EDX detects heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr) in biofilms. Bacterial counts are significantly higher in biofilms on microplastics than in river water. These findings are crucial for ecosystem management and pollution mitigation strategies. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
