University Of Tehran Press Pollution 2383-451X 11 2 2025 02 01 Abundance and Characteristics of Microplastics in Surface Water of Lake Singkarak in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia 464 476 99864 10.22059/poll.2024.381179.2516 EN Deswati Deswati Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Andalas University, P.O. Box 25163, Padang, Indonesia 0000-0002-8655-9838 Yulizar Yusuf Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Andalas University, P.O. Box 25163, Padang, Indonesia 0009-0005-3280-5545 Zaki Aiwa Putra Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Andalas University, P.O. Box 25163, Padang, Indonesia Adewirli Putra Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Syedza Saintika University, P.O. Box 25132, Padang, Indonesia 0000-0001-6500-6241 Journal Article 2024 08 20 The distribution of microplastics (MPs) in freshwater bodies is receiving increasing attention due to the discovery of MPs in lake organisms that can be consumed. The small size of MPs makes them tend to float in the water column, making it easy for them to enter and accumulate in lake organisms. However, research on  MPs in freshwater areas is still lacking, and no studies have been conducted in Lake Singkarak. This study aims to analyze the abundance of microplastics in surface water samples from five sampling stations in Lake Singkarak. Visual analysis of MPs was conducted using a B-350 Optical Stereo Microscope, and polymer-type analysis of  MPs was performed using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR). The abundance of MP pollutants in surface water ranged from 117.5 to 202.5 particles L-1. The characteristics of MP pollutants based on shape, color, and size were predominantly fragments (42.81%), black (47.94%), and ≤100 µm in size (53.67%). The polymer types identified were polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The results of this study are expected to provide valuable references for a better understanding of MP pollution in the surface water of Lake Singkarak. https://jpoll.ut.ac.ir/article_99864_cb29f216af7137492adedd1dd1fa88aa.pdf