Detection and Characterization of Microplastics in Soil and Dust from Urban Road Surface

This study aimed to classify the various forms of microplastics pollution present in the road dust and soil of Jambi City. We characterized the microplastics using FTIR, SEM-EDS, and binocular microscopy. The microplastics characterization under a microscope yielded forms such as fibers, fragments, and films. Polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polystyrene (PS) are the most common types of polymers, according to FTIR analysis. SEM-EDS analysis of microplastics elements showed that chlorine, silicon, carbon, aluminium, sodium, and calcium were the most abundant. The majority of the microplastics (MP) had an average maximum diameter of less than 200 µm. The results of the research indicate that polymeric materials from road dust wear off and travel through stormwater, eventually ending up in open waters and larger ecological niches, and are a major source of microplastics pollution.