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Microplastics Ingestion by Echinodermata: Holothuroidea sp.<br />

(Marine Sea Cucumber)<br />

Nur Sasha Fazana binti Abdul Wahab<br />

Supervisor: Dr. Tuan Nurul Sabiqah binti Tuan Anuar<br />

Bachelor of Science (Analytical and Environmental Chemistry)<br />

School of Marine and Environmental Science<br />

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu<br />

The distribution of microplastics in the marine environment are widespread and<br />

numerous studies were carried out to investigate the potential impacts, however the<br />

information on the presence of microplastics in Malaysia marine organisms are still<br />

scarce. Water columns that have the access with the sea water flowing in and out has<br />

been established as a medium for the spreading of microplastics to the marine<br />

animals. Microplastics are generated after the disintegration of larger plastic materials<br />

that entered the water column as a run off from land sewages. The presence of<br />

microplastics in wild and cage cultured Holothuroidea sp. (marine sea cucumbers)<br />

were determined. 276 pieces of microplastics were isolated from four Holothuroidea<br />

sp. samples and the cage cultured samples contained higher microplastics particles<br />

which were mostly filaments. The microplastic particles were identified using Fourier<br />

Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and polypropylene has been validated as the<br />

dominant type of polymers found.<br />

1960 | UMT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY 2018

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