BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 24, Number 1, January 2023 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 516-522 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d240160 Characterization of microplastic in trawl fish caught in Padang City (Indonesia) coastal area TIVANY EDWIN, BUDHI PRIMASARI  , ANNISA PURNAMA R Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas. Kampus Unand Limau Manis, Padang 25175, West Sumatera, Indonesia. Tel./fax.: +62-751-71181,  email: budhiprimasari@eng.unand.ac.id Manuscript received: 16 September 2022. Revision accepted: 23 January 2023. Abstract. Edwin T, Primasari B, Purnama RA. 2023. Characterization of microplastic in trawl fish caught in Padang City (Indonesia) coastal area. Biodiversitas 24: 516-522. Marine organisms can ingest microplastics that are distributed in the oceans. It can harm marine organisms because carcinogenic materials easily attach to microplastics. Trawl fish is a commercial fish with a high demand from people in Padang City, West Sumatera, Indonesia. This study aimed to analyze the abundance of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of fish. Also, analyze the microplastic characteristics in trawl fish caught on Pasir Jambak Coast and Purus Coast in Padang City. The species studied were Sulphur goatfish (Upeneus sulphureus), Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta), and White sardinella (Sardinella albella). Microplastics were identified using microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy. Microplastic abundance in Sulphur goatfish, Indian mackerel, and White sardinella was 3.89±1.36 per fish, 4.22±1.28 particles per fish, and 2.50±0.46 particles per fish, respectively. The size of the most commonly found microplastics ranged from 1-5 mm and was categorized as the Large Microplastic (LMP) type. Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis showed that the origin of the type of microplastic polymer found was Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Statistically, it shows that the difference in the location and time of sampling does not provide a significant difference in the concentration of microplastics in fish and seawater. The results of this study indicated that microplastics were found in the waters and all fish samples on the coast of Padang City studied. Microplastics in the trawl fish can be used to manage plastic waste in the city to prevent a worse impact due to plastic pollution in the future. Keywords: Indian mackerel, microplastic abundance, microplastic characteristics, sulphur goatfish, white sardinella INTRODUCTION Marine pollution is caused by plastic waste and other materials containing plastic dumped into the ocean due to poor solid waste management. Plastics that are difficult to degrade can undergo fragmentation, biologically or chemically. Plastics tend to be degraded by sunlight through photodegradation and oxidation. The fragmentation causes plastic degradation to a size <5 mm, called microplastic (James et al. 2022). A study by Lusher et al. (2013) shows that microplastics are widespread in the oceans on the seabed, beaches, and sea surfaces. That is due to its buoyancy and micro size, which allows this material to be far transported in water (Horton and Dixon 2017). Water microplastics are divided into two types: primarily manufactured industrially and secondarily derived from degradation (Eriksen et al. 2013; Rocha-Santos and Duarte 2017). Various marine organisms can inadvertently consume microplastics. Microplastics that are uptaken by aquatic organisms will cause various persistent accumulative and toxic chemicals found in them (Yagi et al. 2022). The entry of microplastics into the bodies of marine animals can damage the function of organs. Such as the digestive tract, reduce growth rates, inhibit enzyme production, reduce steroid hormone levels, affect reproduction and cause exposure to addictive plastics with greater toxic properties (Wright et al. 2013). According to Ryan et al. (2009), microplastics can affect intestinal swelling and lower the immune system in marine animals. The digestive tract of fish that contains microplastics can cause the fish to experience a decrease in appetite (Hirai et al. 2011). The existence of these microplastics also harms living things. Microplastics found in surface waters are known to be quickly degraded into finer particles that can be consumed by plankton. These organisms are involved in the food chain by transferring these toxic plastic particles to the trophic level, like fish which are eventually taken up by humans and can cause carcinogenic effects, skin irritation, and multiple organ dysfunctions (Onyena et al. 2022). Microplastics that are digested by marine organisms also impact humans who consume them. The persistent bioaccumulation of various microplastic chemicals causes lethal and damaging conditions in humans. Therefore, microplastics in aquatic organisms that humans consume are important to investigate. The city of Padang-Indonesia on the west coast of the Indian Ocean is rich in tropical fish. Fish is one of the main dishes in the city of Padang, and trawl fish is one of the favorites because these fish are fresh and cheap. Fishermen usually trawl on the coastal area when the weather is good and sell the catch to the people on site. This activity is known as "Maelo pukek". The cath uses the net to be stretched on the shoreline, then pulled together with a rope that reaches 400 meters. The trawl fish usually vary depending on the season. However, certain types are usually found throughout