Page 34 - IPCoSME 2021

1 INTERNATIONAL POSTGRADUATE CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE AND MARINE ENVIRONMENT 2021
st
(IPCoSME 2021)
“Environmental Sustainability Enhancement Through the Collaboration of Sciences”

RD-02

ADSORPTION AND BIOACCUMULATION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC
HYDROCARBONS AND HEAVY METALS BY POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE

MICROPARTICLES

TAN SUET MAY AMELIA , YI TA SHAO , MENG CHUAN ONG AND
1,4
2,3
1
KESAVEN BHUBALAN 1,5,6,7*

1 Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
2 Institute of Marine Biology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan 20224
3 Center of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
20224
4 Ocean Pollution & Ecotoxicology Research Group, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030
Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
5 Malaysian Institute of Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, National Institutes of
Biotechnology Malaysia, 11700 Penang, Malaysia
6 Institute of Marine Biotechnology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus,
Terengganu, Malaysia
7 Microplastic Research Interest Group, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus,
Terengganu, Malaysia

*Corresponding author email: kesaven@umt.edu.my

Abstract: Although the biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate polymer is being researched and
developed as an alternative plastic material along with increasing concerns regarding plastic
and microplastic pollution, the vector potential of polyhydroxyalkanoate at absorbing and

bioaccumulating pollutants from the surrounding environment into the biological systems of
organisms is not well studied as its fossil-based plastic counterpart. Therefore, the adsorption

and bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals by
polyhydroxyalkanoate microparticles will be investigated on one of the commonly consumed

fish, Tilapia sp. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals will be absorbed into
polyhydroxyalkanoate microparticles using aqueous solution. The concentrations of
phenanthrene, nitrobenzene, copper, and lead in the fish tissues, tank water, and fish faeces will

be measured using high-performance liquid chromatography and compared. The
polyhydroxyalkanoate microparticles are expected to absorb more pollutants than conventional

plastic microparticles. Data could be useful in future policies and enforcement concerning the
manufacturing and application of polyhydroxyalkanoate.

Keywords: polyhydroxyalkanoate, heavy metal, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon,

bioaccumulation, adsorption

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