ABUNDANCE, UPTAKE, PRESENCE AND BIODEGRADATION OF MICROPLASTICS IN MALAYSIAN CONTEXT: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

• Published in: Journal of Sustainability Science and Management
• Main Author: Ibrahim N.A.; Anuar M.H.H.K.; Mazlan M.A.; Nahar A.M.A.; Alian S.N.N.S.; Zakaria N.A.; Hashim M.A.; Kamil K.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Terengganu 2022
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85130468321&doi=10.46754%2fjssm.2022.02.016&partnerID=40&md5=3f7f6f412b53c659c335bb97db842f5c

A growing number of studies on microplastics can be found following the awareness of their impacts on the environment, especially wildlife. Realising the importance of gathering available information, a systematic literature review was conducted to collect and analyse information on microplastics in Malaysia. This review is based on the Reporting standards for Systematic Evidence Synthesis or ROSES. Two leading databases, namely Scopus and Web of Science, were used to gather related studies. Following the ROSES protocol, 27 studies were reviewed and classified into four themes which include: (1) composition and abundance of microplastics in the environment, (2) microplastics uptake by aquatic organisms, (3) the presence of microplastics in sea products and others and (4) biodegradation and biodeterioration of microplastics. Findings from the studies suggest that the abundance of microplastics in Malaysia is comparable to other parts of the world. Though concerning, the growing number of studies on various aspects of microplastics, including biodegradation potential, can be viewed as a positive sign of Malaysian knowledge and efforts to address the problem. © 2022 Penerbit UMT. All Rights Reserved.