Microplastic contamination in green mussels (Perna viridis Linnaeus, 1758) collected from the traditional fish markets along the East Java coast of Indonesia and the associated risk assessment

The green mussels sold at traditional fish markets in East Java, Indonesia, are likely to be contaminated with microplastics as a result of their habitat in coastal waters, which are considerably impacted by human activities, including residential, industrial, and agricultural activities. This study investigates microplastic contamination in green mussels collected from five traditional fish markets along the East Java coast, Indonesia, and assesses the associated health risks to humans from consuming these mussels. The findings indicated that microplastics, identified as fiber and fragment types, in black and red colors, with sizes of < 100 µm and 100 - < 500 µm, are the most common in green mussels. Green mussels from the East Java coast, regardless of size, demonstrate similar amounts of microplastics. The polymer hazard index value of green mussels collected from traditional fish markets can be classified within the 860 (III = high) to 1980 (IV = very high) hazard categories. Various hazardous chemical compounds and harmful polymers that are commonly used in plastic production were detected in the tissues of green mussels through FTIR and GCMS analyses.