Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Marine Pollution Bulletin

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/marpolbul

Beach macro-litter monitoring and floating microplastic in a coastal area of

Indonesia
Agung Dhamar Syaktia,b,⁎, Rafika Bouhroumc, Nuning Vita Hidayatib, Chandra Joei Koenawand,
Abdelaziz Boulkamhc, Isdy Sulistyob, Stephanie Lebarilliere, Syafsir Akhlusf, Pierre Doumenqe,
Pascal Wong-Wah-Chunge
a
Center for Maritime Biosciences Studies – Institute for Sciences and Community Service, Jenderal Soedirman University, Kampus Karangwangkal, Jl. dr. Suparno,
Purwokerto 53123, Indonesia
b
Fisheries and Marine Science Faculty-Jenderal Soedirman University, Kampus Karangwangkal, Jl. dr. Suparno, Purwokerto 53123, Indonesia
c
Marine Science and Fisheries Faculty, Raja Ali Haji Maritime University, Jl. Politeknik Senggarang-Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands Province 29100, Indonesia
d
Laboratoire des Techniques Innovantes de Préservation de l'Environnement, Université des Frères Mentouri (Constantine 1), 325 Route de Ain El Bey, 25017 Constantine,
Algeria
e
Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LCE, UMR 7376, 13545 Aix-en-Provence Cedex 4, France
f
Department of Chemistry, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Surabaya, Indonesia

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Qualitative analysis of the structures of the polymers composing floating plastic debris was performed using
Marine debris attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and the aging of the debris was
Polymer degradation assessed by measuring carbonyl group formation on the particle surfaces. Plastic material made up > 75% of the
Citizen science 2313 items collected during a three-year survey. The size, shape and color of the microplastic were correlated
Anthropogenic
with the polymer structure. The most abundant plastic materials were polypropylene (68%) and low-density
Indonesia
polyethylene (11%), and the predominant colors of the plastics were white, blue and green. Cilacap Bay,
Indonesia, was contaminated with microplastic at a concentration of 2.5 mg·m3. The carbonyl index demon-
strated that most of the floating microplastic was only slightly degraded. This study highlights the need to raise
environmental awareness through citizen science education and adopting good environmental practices.

1. Introduction coastline, Indonesia produces approximately 5.4 million metric tons of

The accumulation and potential impacts of plastic debris and par-
ticles in the ocean have been recognized worldwide as emerging en-
vironmental issues (Morét-Ferguson et al., 2010); Martins and Sobral,
2011; Lee and Sanders, 2015; Suaria et al., 2015). Despite the pub-
lication of several relevant studies, quantifying the amounts and
sources of plastic and other types of debris in the marine environment is
difficult. Barnes et al. (2009) reported that in addition to the recrea-
tional use of coastal areas and tourist activities, inadequately managed
sanitary landfills, rivers, sewage and storm water, and industrial and
manufacturing facilities are potential land-based sources of plastic
waste in the marine environment. In Indonesia, Jambeck et al. (2015)
estimated that 0.52 kg of waste per person was generated each day and
that 83% of that total was mismanaged. Among this huge quantity of
waste, plastic accounts for 11%, 10.1% of which is properly managed.
With a population of 187.2 million people who live within 50 km of the
plastic waste, 3.22 million of which is mismanaged, resulting in
0.48–1.29 million metric tons ending up as marine waste (Jambeck
et al., 2015). Although these substances are not at sufficiently high
levels to pose an immediate risk, the management of plastic waste in
Indonesia is still inadequate. We acknowledge that we live in a
“throwaway culture,” in which the packaging of our food and beverages
are composed of plastic. The environmental and health concerns asso-
ciated with plastic pollution are recognized not only in Indonesia but
also globally. Thus, addressing this risk and monitoring the extent, fate
and impact of plastic debris is an urgent concern in Indonesia. To the
best of our knowledge, few studies have been conducted on organic
pollution in Indonesia and its neighboring countries (Willoughby, 1986;
Evans et al., 1995; Willoughby et al., 1997; Uneputty and Evans, 1997;
Ng and Obbard, 2006; Ryan, 2013; Cordova and Wahyudi, 2016). The
present study focused on the coast of Cilacap Regency, Indonesia, which
is vulnerable to plastic accumulation on beaches from land sources due

⁎
Corresponding author at: Center for Maritime Biosciences Studies – Institute for Sciences and Community Service, Jenderal Soedirman University, Kampus Karangwangkal, Jl. dr.
Suparno, Purwokerto 53123, Indonesia.
E-mail address: agungsyakti@chemist.com (A.D. Syakti).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.046
Received 9 May 2017; Received in revised form 15 June 2017; Accepted 16 June 2017
0025-326X/ © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article as: Syakti, A.D., Marine Pollution Bulletin (2017), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.046
A.D. Syakti et al.
Fig. 1. Location of sampling sites along Cilacap's coast. TR-1 to TR-8 (transects 1–8), with an insert showing the positioning of the quadrats alongside the transects, MT-1 to MT-5
(Mantanet Transect 1–5).
to the river discharge and population concentration along the coast and
from marine sources due to fishing, maritime recreation, commercial
vessels and cruise ships. The goal of this study was to investigate the
composition, distribution and origin of plastic litter along the strand
lines of representative islands on the Cilacap coast. Accordingly, the
plastic particle composition was analyzed and assigned to the following
seven types of polymers: polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), poly-
ethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density
polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and poly-
propylene (PP).
2
Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Study area
The Cilacap region is located on the south coast of Java and is
surrounded by an area of slough, tributaries, mangrove swamps and
intertidal land converted into rice fields (Fig. 1). A population of ap-
proximately 1.8 million, which is equivalent to 900 persons/km2 and
includes 33,000 commercial fishermen, lives along the Cilacap coast.
The Cilacap coastal water is important for marine traffic, with 4500
boats being listed as operational vessels, mostly for fishing and
A.D. Syakti et al.
transportation. Cilacap's coast is oriented west to east and is approxi-
mately 40 km long. The area includes the entrance to the Segara
Anakan Lagoon, which is encircled by 7000 ha of mangroves and is
regarded as a hotspot of mangrove biodiversity in Indonesia.
2.2. Beach plastic litter sampling
Seventy undergraduate students from the Marine Science
Department of Jenderal Soedirman University-Indonesia were involved
in each year of monitoring as part of the fieldwork in their marine
pollution courses. The monitoring was conducted once a year in May,
which is the last period of study before the beginning of the holiday in
the region. This sampling strategy may increase the possible number of
objects found. The students were tasked with marking sampling quad-
rats and then sorting and counting the plastic litter in the quadrats.
Eight sampling transects (TR) designated TR-1 through TR-8 were se-
lected. At each sampling transect, a 30-m-long transect line was deli-
neated, and three quadrats measuring 2 m by 2 m were delineated
alongside the transect parallel to the shoreline. The center of each
quadrat was located at 0–2 m, 14–15 m and 28–30 m along the transect
line, and the quadrats were located above the high spring-tide line
because plastic tends to accumulate in this zone (Fig. 1). To maximize
the likelihood of sampling abundant beach litter accumulation, the
samples were collected by the students within 24 quadrats (from 8
transects), which were chosen based on accessibility and orientation
with respect to the dominant southeasterly winds, and the same
quadrats were used for sampling for three consecutive years. The
sampling points were located 1–1.5 km from one another. The classi-
fication and identification of the plastic litter were conducted according
to a modified version of the method of Uneputty and Evans (1997).
Briefly, in this study, we grouped beach macro-litter into five plastic
items: nylon from fishing gear (NFG), polyethylene bags (PB), footwear
(FW), polystyrene blocks (PSB) and bottle fragments (BF) (Table 2). We
excluded other forms of litter such as tins and wood. Furthermore, those
five types of plastic litter were further classified into seven classes of
polymers: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene
(HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE),
polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polycarbonate (PC) (Martins
and Sobral, 2011).
2.3. Floating microplastic sampling
Five marine areas along the Cilacap coast (Fig. 1 and Table 1) were
sampled from a small boat equipped with a MantaNet. The MantaNet
was towed along 1.8 km of an imaginary transect line (MT-1 through
MT-5) at a boat speed of 3.6 km/h. The MantaNet measured 75 cm wide
by 35 cm tall. The net was kept at the surface using a resin float and
potentially passed through a water volume of 75 cm by 20 cm for the
towed distance of 180,000 cm, or approximately 270 M3. Each size
class was then separated, counted and placed in a separate container.
Each size class was weighed to a precision of 0.1 mg using an Ohaus
top-loading balance. Plant material and “other” non-plastic, non-plant
material from each sample was sorted and weighed.
Table 1
Location of sampling sites along Cilacap's coast.
Manta towing Lat (S) Long (E) Heading (°)
MT-1 7° 42′ 18.25″ 109° 8′ 23.93″ 123
MT-2 7° 44′ 32.41″ 109° 5′ 50.55″ 205
MT-3 7° 44′ 57.03″ 109° 1′ 57.03″ 69
MT-4 7° 42′ 22.39″ 109° 4′ 51.94″ 254
MT-5 7° 44′ 54.63″ 108° 59′ 48.28″ 296
Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx
2.4. Microplastic identification
The microplastic composition was identified using Fourier trans-
form infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The spectra were obtained using a
Thermo Electron Nexus spectrometer equipped with a diamond crystal
Smart Orbit™ accessory. The spectra were recorded as attenuated total
reflection (ATR) and were corrected using the ATR correction in
OMNIC™ software. When the ATR was measured, the sample was
pressed against a diamond crystal, and the absorption of the evanescent
wave was then measured. All the spectra were acquired between 4000
and 450 cm− 1 with 64 accumulations and a spectral resolution of
4 cm− 1. Polymer identification was performed based on vibrational
bands and a comparison of IR spectra against standards in a spectral
library. Since the most common plastic color tends to be white because
of the photodegradation of the incorporated pigments, we also char-
acterized the plastic particles based on their colors, e.g., red, green,
black or blue (Cole et al., 2011).
2.5. Data analysis
The marine debris concentrations (both macro- and micro-debris)
are presented as the mean values ± their standard deviations (SDs).
Statistical data analysis was performed using Excel. Variations within
the bulk debris (macro and micro) were assessed based on an ANOVA
test. Values are reported as the mean ± SD, and the differences are
considered significant when p < 0.05.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Beach macroplastic litter
During the three years of the survey, we observed and collected
2313 items of beach macro-litter; specifically, 38.9–39.9% was PB,
21.1–23.2% was BF, 18.1–22.1% was NFG, 12.5–15.8% was PB, and
3–6% was FW (Table 2). In general, the number of beach plastic litter
items collected insignificantly increased from 2013 to 2015
(p < 0.05). Table 2 indicates that there was also an increase in beach
plastic litter densities. For example, NFG increased from 4.3 to 9.2, PSB
from 3.7 to 5.3 and BF from 5.0 to 9.5. PB showed the most prominent
increase, reaching a density of 9.3 to 16.2 number of items found/m2.
The main activity observed around TR-1 to TR-8 was recreational.
However, in Cilacap, there are approximately 1500 small fishing boats,
which concentrate their fishing in the middle of the Bay of Cilacap,
which is the reason nylon netting (NFG) was found frequently. Thus,
local lifestyles and behavioral patterns are believed to influence the
litter composition because of their effect on the packaging methods
used in the region and in Indonesia in general. Interestingly, the
abundance of beach macroplastic on Cilacap's beaches was con-
comitantly associated with the presence of the plastisphere. This phe-
nomenon is defined as when benthic fauna are found on many large
pieces of polymer plastic. A similar observation made at Seribu Island
was previously reported by Willoughby et al. (1997).
We assume that the litter in Cilacap's bays is derived from various
sources. For example, the blocks of polystyrene foam (PSB) are ex-
tensively used by local fishermen as floats for their nets. Most of the
Remarks
• Near 3
Serayu river outlet, 181 km long with 2.78 M /s of water debit
• Near a power plant, seaward facing the Indian Ocean
• Near tourism-heavy coastal area
• Western outlet of the Segara Anakan Lagoon, inner island boat transport, fishing
• Inrefinery,
the interior of the lagoon (plastic can be transported from domestic and some industrial complexes, e.g.,
cement plant and harbor)
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A.D. Syakti et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx

Table 2
The relative abundance and density of beach macroplastic from Cilacap's coast (2013–2015).

Type of beach macroplastic (litter) 2013 2014 2015

(n) (%) Density (items/m2) (n) (%) Density (items/m2) (n) (%) Density (items/m2)

NFG 137 18.1 4.3 57 21.3 3.6 295 22.1 9.2

PB 296 39.0 9.3 107 40.0 6.7 519 38.9 16.2
FW 45 6.0 1.4 8 3.0 0.5 46 3.5 1.4
PSB 120 15.8 3.7 33 12.5 2.1 168 12.6 5.3
BF 159 21.1 5.0 62 23.2 3.9 297 22.9 9.5
∑ 757 100 23.7 267 100 16.8 1325 100 41.6

Note: n = number of items found, NFG = nylon from fishing gear, PB = polyethylene bags, FW = footwear, PSB = polystyrene blocks, BF = bottle fragment.

Table 3 baseline survey of the abundance, distribution and origin of plastic

Comparison of the number (n) and weights (g) of beach macroplastic per square meter stranded on the beach. Previous studies have reported the presence of
found along the Cilacap coast with those found in other coastal areas around the world. plastic litter on the Belgian continental shelf (Cauwenberghe et al.,
Region n/m2 g/m2 References
2013); in Himmerfjärden Bay, Sweden (Gorokhova, 2015); and along
the Portuguese coast (Neves et al., 2015). In 2013, visitors to the beach
Cilacap coast, Indonesia 16.8–41.6 n.a. This study numbered approximately 150,000, whereas in 2015, this number re-
Western Indian Ocean 4.7 142 Duhec et al. (2015) portedly increased by a factor of 1.3. Most studies have involved the
Pearl River Estuary, Hong 5595 0.008–249.2 Fox and Cheung (2015)
Kong
recording of all litter between the sea and the highest strandline on the
South China Sea 3–347 0.3–24 Zhao et al. (2015) upper shore (Velander and Mocogni, 1998, 1999), whereas this study
South Pacific (Chile) 27 n.a. Hidalgo-Ruz and Thiel included litter buried to a depth of 5 cm.
(2013)
Belgian Continental Shelf 2.3–213 0.05–1.9 Cauwenberghe et al.
(2013) 3.1.1. Polymer type of beach plastic litter
Portuguese Coastlines 29–393 36.4 Martins and Sobral Regarding the polymer types of the beach plastic litter, we noted the
(2011) composition proportions varied only slightly from one sampling loca-
Thousand island, 54–22 n.a. Willoughby (1986)
tion to the next, as these locations spanned only 7 km of coastline. TR-2
Indonesia
(p < 0.01), TR4 (p < 0.05), TR-6 (p < 0.05) and TR-8 (p < 0.01)
showed significantly different abundance and composition during the
plastic bags were discarded directly on the recreational beach, and three years (Fig. 2). We also noted that the amount of PP was parti-
some presumably came from the Segara Anakan Lagoon and from the cularly high in 2013.
Serayu River watershed. Plastic abundance might increase as a result of
littering on the recreational beach, particularly near restaurants, or 3.2. Floating microplastic
decrease when the beach is cleaned. Table 3 contains a comparative
study demonstrating the different densities (n/m2) and weights (g/m2) 3.2.1. Size of the floating microplastic
of plastic found in other coastal areas worldwide. Thus, the present The floating microplastic was divided into three size ranges: < 2.5
study showed that the beach macroplastic contamination in the Cilacap mm, 2.5–5 mm and > 5 mm. The results indicate that 7–35% of the
Regency was of the same or greater magnitude than that in almost any plastic was smaller than 2.5 mm, 20–46% measured between 2.5 and
other region, expect for hotspot plastic pollution regions, such as the 5 mm, and 29–73% was larger than 5 mm (Fig. 3). The mean weight
Pearl River estuary in Hong Kong (Fox and Cheung, 2015). and surface area of the floating microplastic are presented in Table 4. At
Since Indonesian culture still performs poorly in terms of managing MT-1, the mean weight and surface area values were 4.4 ± 16.4 mg
waste, the paradigm “out of sight, out of mind” remains evident along (0.1–80.9 mg) and 20.4 ± 40.9 mm2 (1–150 mm2), respectively (24
the coast. Therefore, reducing visible litter is achieved by burning or pieces of debris). At MT-2, these values were 3.0 ± 6.3 mg
burying it or by throwing it directly into the sea. Our study was a (0.1–27.9 mg) and 24.6 ± 24.4 mm2 (1–92.1 mm2), respectively (35

Fig. 2. Average total number of macroplastic items com-

prising different polymers found within a given transect.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density poly-
ethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density
polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS)
and polycarbonate (PC). p < 0.05, p < 0.01.

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A.D. Syakti et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx

Fig. 3. Size distribution (A) and calculated surface area (B) of the floating microplastic found in the Cilacap coastal and Segara Anakan waters.

Table 4
Number of floating microplastic items (polymers) collected from Cilacap's coast and their surface area and weight.

Transect Number Range of Mean ± std. Total weight (mg) Range of Mean ± std. Total surface (mm2)
measured weight (mg) (mg) measured surfaces (mm2) (mm2)

MT-I 24 0.1–80.9 4.4 ± 16.4 104.68 1–150 20.4 ± 40.9 484.85

MT-2 35 0.1–27.9 3.0 ± 6.3 437.97 1–92.1 24.6 ± 24.4 1657.49
MT-3 49 0.18–30.54 3.7 ± 6.3 153.03 1–150 5.6 ± 7.2 1,300,513.75a
MT-4 28 0.1–78.9 8.1 ± 20 226.8 0.8–1093 86.1 ± 235.6 2416.86
MT-5 24 0.29–144.97 19.3 ± 32.8 757.11 1–2278 172 ± 482.7 4120.05

a
Three pieces were excluded from the calculation because of their disproportionate sizes.

Table 5 Based on our estimate of the number and sizes of the floating mi-
Comparison of the number (n) and average mass (mg) of floating microplastic particles croplastic in the study area (1600 km2), an average of
per cubic meter found in the Cilacap coastal water with those found in other coastal water 206.3 ± 142.1 mg of marine debris was found along each transect line
globally.
which correspond to 0.27–0.54 particles per m3. Based on the area
Region n/m3 mg/m3 References swept with the MantaNet, which is 0.009 km2 (1.8 km × 0.0005 km),
366.7 kg of plastic has been converted into floating plastic. To estimate
Cilacap coast, Indonesia 0.27–0.54 0.5–2.5 This study the extent of pollution due to floating microplastic, calculations were
South Adriatic Sea 0.04–4.65 n.a. Suaria et al. (2017)
Mexican Pacific coast 0.04–2.44 n.a. Diaz-Torres et al.
made considering items smaller than 0.5 mm. The mass density of the
(2017) microplastic varied from 0.5 to 2.5 mg·m− 3, which highlights the high
Yangtze estuary, China 3.4–13.6 n.a. Zhang et al. (2015) level of pollution in Cilacap Bay compared to that in the northwestern
North East Atlantic Ocean 2.46 n.a. Lusher et al., 2014 Mediterranean Sea (Collignon et al., 2012). Table 5 shows the average
East China Sea 0–1.44 n.a. Zhao et al. (2014)
number and mass of floating microplastic particles in some regions
NW Mediterranean 0.116 0.202 Collignon et al.
(2012) across the world. In general, Cilacap Bay had a lower average number
Southern California – Santa 3.92 3 Lattin et al. (2001) of floating plastic particles and was less polluted than other regions
Monica Bay (e.g., the Yangtze estuary and Northeast Atlantic Ocean); however, our
North Pacific Central Gyre 0.334 511 Moore et al. (2001) results were also of the same order of magnitude as those from regions
such as the Northwest Mediterranean and North Pacific Central Gyre.
Some authors used particle diameter rather than the average weight to
pieces). At MT-3, which was located in the eastern part of the lagoon
express their data regarding abundance estimates (Neves et al., 2015;
near the city of Cilacap, 49 pieces of small debris were counted; there,
Ryan, 2013) or densities (Zhao et al., 2015). We believe that compared
these values were 3.7 ± 6.3 mg (0.18–30.54 mg) and 5.6 ± 7.2 mm2
with the particle diameter, using the average weight is advantageous.
(1–150 mm2). Three pieces were excluded from the calculation because
Specifically, the average weight could be considered a representative
their surface areas were disproportionate compared to the rest of the
parameter because the particle diameter strongly depends on the geo-
floating microplastic (ranging from 104,830 to 763,250 mm2). The
metric shape of the particle and could vary greatly due to degradation.
floating microplastic collected at MT-4 had a mean weight of 8.1–20 mg
(0.1–78.9 mg) and surface areas ranging from 0.8 to 1093 mm2 with an
arithmetic mean of 86.1 ± 235.6 mm2 (28 items). At MT-5, which is 3.2.2. Color of the floating microplastic
located in the central lagoon where several streams discharge, the Long-term exposure to plastic pollution in the marine environment
debris yielded an average weight of 19.3 ± 32.8 mg (0.29–144.97 mg) may have effects on the living biota, e.g., via ingestion. However, be-
and a polydisperse surface area of 172 ± 482.7 mm2 (1–2278 mm2). cause few studies have yielded quantitative data regarding the colors of
floating microplastic, we collected information on the color of the

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A.D. Syakti et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx

microplastic swept up in the MantaNet (for microplastics with sizes

between 5.000 μm and 330 μm). Fig. 4A shows the percentages of
colors observed at each sampling station. White microplastic was pre-
dominant, accounting for 53–71% of the total plastic with an arithmetic
mean of 62 ± 7.7%. The next most frequently observed floating mi-
croplastic colors were blue (19 ± 9%), green (11 ± 6.6%), red
(5 ± 4.8%), black (2 ± 2.4%), purple (1 ± 1.2%) and yellow
(1 ± 1.6%). Kühn et al. (2015) reported that light-colored floating
microplastic is generally more common. Carpenter et al. (1972) re-
ported that light-colored marine debris accounted for 94% of the total
in the Sargasso Sea; furthermore, their investigation of seabird digestive
tracts revealed that 85% of the floating plastic debris was light colored.
The study conducted by Boerger et al. (2010) in the North Pacific Gyre
indicated that white, clear, and blue plastics were primarily ingested by
the planktivorous fish and neuston samples. Accordingly, the pre-
valence of brightly colored objects may make their ingestion by fish
more likely (Jayasiri et al., 2013; Zhao et al., 2015), and their color
selectivity causes the floating microplastic to resemble their natural
food (Andrady, 2011). This risk does not occur in only the marine en-
vironment: recently, Peter and Peters and Bratton (2016) documented
the ingestion of microplastic and manufactured fiber by bluegill (Le-
pomis macrochirus) and longear (Lepomis megalotis) sunfish (Cen-
trarchidae) in the Brazos River Basin. In ecosystem of the Segara
Anakan Lagoon, 13 residential, 17 migrating and 16 occasional visitor
fish species, including riverine, freshwater and marine species, were
identified (White et al., 1989) as being potentially vulnerable to an-
thropogenic impacts (Hidayati et al., 2014; Susanto et al., 2014; Syakti
et al., 2013a, 2013b, 2015), including the macro- and microplastic re-
ported in our study. To the best of our knowledge, our study represents
the first observation of plastic pollution in the study area and may serve
as a baseline for further monitoring. However, at this stage, we cannot
draw any conclusions regarding the sources of floating microplastic that
result in the observed proportions of plastic colors. We hypothesize that
the BF, FW, NFG, PB, PSB, and tin found along the Cilacap coast and in
the Segara Anakan Lagoon originate from activities such as recreation
and tourism and sources such as coastal cities, navigation routes and
shipyards (Suaria et al., 2015). Certain trends regarding color, micro-
plastic polymer weight and estimated surface areas were observed in
MT-1, MT-4 and MT-5, and we noted that black and red colors were
predominant in MT-3 and MT-4 (Fig. 4B and C).
Fig. 4. Color occurrence (A), weight (B) and relative surface area (C) percentages of the
floating microplastic found in Cilacap coastal and Segara Anakan waters.
3.2.3. Polymer composition of the floating microplastic
We observed that the floating microplastic polymers present in the
study area were PP, PE, LDPE and PP. PP can be subdivided into atactic,
syndiotactic and isotactic PP (Fig. 5), whereas PET and HDPE were not

Fig. 5. Polymer occurrence and distribution of the floating mi-

croplastic found in the Cilacap coastal and Segara Anakan waters.

6
A.D. Syakti et al.
swept up in the MantaNet. The possible explanation for the absences of
these polymers from the sea surface may be their densities (namely,
that of HDPE) and/or their susceptibility to fragmentation into debris
through mechanical, physicochemical and biological processes. Fig. 6
shows three examples of the polymers found. PP was indicated by the
prominent presence of the 2911-cm− 1 peak indicating an asymmetrical
type of vibration (ⱱa-CH2). Moreover, the IR spectrum of PP showed an
absorption band at 1458 cm− 1 that corresponds to asymmetrical de-
formation vibrations (δa-CH3), whereas the symmetrical deformation
vibrations (δs–CH3) were signified by a prominent absorption band at
7
Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx
Fig. 6. FTIR spectra of plastic collected in the Cilacap
coastal and Segara Anakan waters.
1372 cm− 1. Regarding the stereochemical arrangement, we noted that
based on the presence of absorption bands at 998 and 868 cm− 1, PP
was present in its isotactic and syndiotactic forms, respectively. Fea-
tures relating to methyl and methylene bending at the extended chain
were indicated by the absorption bands at 375 and 1462 cm− 1. Similar
observations were reported by Snyder et al. (1978). Another polymer,
PE, displayed vibration bands at 2911 and 2847 cm− 1 that are similar
to those of PP but lacked a peak at 2952 cm− 1. Two absorption bands
characteristic of PE were observed. The first band at 1467 cm− 1 (δ-
CH2) may indicate asymmetrical methyl CeH bending or methylene
A.D. Syakti et al.
Fig. 7. Carbonyl index of polypropylene and polyethylene (CI-PP and CI-PE) plastic
debris found in the Cilacap coast and Segara Anakan waters.
scissoring. The second band at 720 cm− 1 (γr-CH2) signifies methylene
rocking in the CeH out-of-plane bending region. Other confirmations in
this study involved PS. The absorbance peaks were assigned in a wide
range of wavelengths. The important peak at 3022 cm− 1 corresponded
to the aromatic CeH stretching vibration. The next peaks at 2911 and
2844 cm− 1 corresponded to CeH stretching, indicating asymmetrical
vibrations, symmetrical stretching (ⱱa-CH3), and ⱱa (CH3); these peaks
may overlap with those arising from the presence of some impurities in
the sample (4000–3000-cm− 1 H2O band). The next three peaks, which
were located at 1654, 1502 and 1439 cm− 1, indicate aromatic CeH
bond stretching vibrations. The peaks below 1024 cm− 1 correspond to
aromatic CeH deformation vibrations. Another study that compre-
hensively detailed the bonds corresponding to the identified ATR peaks
was conducted by Fotopoulou and Karapanagioti (2015).
PP is generally recognized as being more susceptible to attack by
strong oxidizing agents than polyethylene and other polymers. Thus, in
the next section, we focus on the aging behavior of PE and PP.
3.3. Aging behavior
To determine the influence of aging behavior on the apportionment
of the polymers, we used the carbonyl index, which is a simple way of
evaluating interfacial effects on the photooxidative aging of olefin
polymers such as PE and PP. The PS samples were assessed in this re-
gard because of the very low number of PS items (4 pieces). Since peaks
the 1700–1800-cm− 1 region in the IR spectra can indicate the presence
of oxidized functional groups, bands at 1775 cm− 1 (or 1715 cm− 1)
corresponding to carbonyl group modification may appear after sam-
ples have been exposed to natural conditions in the environment. This
carbonyl group modification may indicate that the polymer has been
oxidized.
The carbonyl index (CI) was calculated using the following equation
(Barbes et al., 2014):
A1775 (1715) A Marine Science Department, Jenderal Soedirman University, who par-
CI‐PP = and CI‐PE = 1710
A2870 A2924
where A1775 (1715) represents absorbance by the carbonyl group
(eCOe), and A2870 reflects absorbance by the methylene group
(eCH2e) and symmetric stretching vibration. In the equation for CIPE,
A1710 and A2924 represent C]O stretching (possible oxidation) and CH
stretching, respectively (Fotopoulou and Karapanagioti, 2015;
Ioakeimidis et al., 2016).
A high value of the CI (approximately 1 or greater) indicates that
the polymer has been significantly transformed. A few authors have
used polypropylene/polymethyl methacrylate (PP/PMMA) and poly-
propylene/polystyrene (PP/PS) blends (PMMA and PS as the dispersion
phase) as models to investigate the aging of these matrixes (Zhao et al.,
2013). The results obtained from the samples from Indonesia indicate
8
Marine Pollution Bulletin xxx (xxxx) xxx–xxx
that most are weakly degraded. Only one sample had a CI close to 1
(Fig. 7). This result correlates well with the shapes and colors of the
plastic items, most of which are white and display nearly undamaged
surfaces, which could lead to a minor amount of chemicals absorbed
onto the polymers surface. The significance of this observation is that
marine microplastic found along the Cilacap coast poses a low risk in
terms of co-pollutant possibility because a low ratio could indicate a
low chemical concentration adsorbed onto the plastic surface. This
conclusion should be subjected to further evaluation, and we are de-
veloping a sensitive analytical method for studying contamination by
polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) as plastic co-pollutants. Only one sample yielded a ratio of
1710 cm− 1 to 2924 cm− 1, i.e., a ratio close to 1, for PE evaluation,
which might be indicative of photooxidation; this sample probably
came from outside of the study area.
4. Conclusions
Our study demonstrated that a large quantity of plastic litter accu-
mulates in the intertidal zone along the coast of Cilacap, Indonesia. The
abundant beach macroplastic might originate from the recreational
beach and from the Donan and Serayu Rivers, and this litter could be
better managed. A citizen science program could be established in
many coastal areas of Indonesia to help achieve several outreach ob-
jectives, such as public awareness, coastal clean-up and pollutant
monitoring. A relationship was found between the size, shape and color
of the floating microplastic and the plastic polymers. The most common
polymers were PP (68%) and LDPE (11%), and the predominant colors
were white, blue and green. Thus, the occurrence of floating micro-
plastic in the Indonesian marine ecosystem suggests the need for further
research to assess microplastic digestion in animal stomachs and di-
gestive tracts and to better understand the adverse effects of micro-
plastics on wildlife and ecosystem health by studying co-pollutants
absorbed onto plastic surfaces. Furthermore, promoting environmental
consciousness through a citizen science education program and legis-
lative efforts are likely to be the simplest and most practical measures
for educating people and addressing these environmental problems.
This paper may serve to recall the political commitment from the
Indonesian government to strengthen the institutional relationships
among stakeholders and shareholders at different levels of society
(government, academia, private sector, NGOs, and communities) re-
lated to the marine environment. Through an integrated approach to
regulation, investment and law enforcement, this commitment aims to
prevent plastic pollution from entering the marine environment and to
maintain the ocean and coast for civic welfare.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful for the financial support of DIPA UNSOED
(DIPA/023.04.2.189899/2014). The authors would also like to ac-
knowledge the involvement of 70 undergraduate students from the
ticipated in the plastic litter sampling by providing the quantitative
data and serving as a promising model of “citizen science”.
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