Roadside associated micrplastics (RAMPs): presence of micrplastics along EDSA Metro Manila/
Stephanie G. Bello, Lyka D. Burton, Xavier Paul Caudilla, Karen Joyce F. Mortel .--
- Manila: Technological University of the Philippines, 2024.
- vii, 213pages: 29cm. +1 CD-ROM (4 3/4in.)
Thesis (undergraduate)
College of Science .--
Includes bibliography:
Plastic consumption, while offering certain benefits, also presents significant negative consequences. Plastic production rate is rising despite inadequate recycling and limited knowledge of the breakdown of MPs. Road dust is a major source of MPs in an urban environment and no known studies have conducted in the Philippines. This study investigates the presence of Roadside Associated Microplastics (RAMPs) along EDSA, Metro Manila, examining their correlation with temperature, humidity, vehicle, pedestrian count, and deposition rates at three sampling stations: Eton station, Shaw station, and Taft station. Dust samples were collected using 0.50 x 0.50-meter quadrants, and subsequent analysis was performed in controlled laboratory conditions. Eton station recorded the highest number and concentration of RAMPs, followed by Shaw station and Taft station stations, reflecting the impact of local anthropogenic activities. Among the three sampling stations, Shaw station exhibited the highest dust concentration, followed by Eton station and the least dust was collected from Taft station. The study identified 1,265 suspected microplastic particles, predominantly fibers (66.72%), with transparent particles being the most common color (29.64%), and majority were in Class 5 size (41.66%). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of 127 samples revealed polypropylene (PP) as the most abundant polymer (32.00%), followed by polyethylene (PE) with (15.00%) and polypropylene isotactic (11.00%). Spearman’s rank correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between temperature, humidity, vehicle, and pedestrian activity with the total number and concentration of RAMPs. Despite the lack of significance, moderate correlations indicate that a larger data set is needed for more conclusive results. Whereas there is a strong positive correlation between the deposition rate and the total RAMPs and are statistically significant indicating a meaningful relationship between these variables. The results of the study contribute to the understanding of microplastics along EDSA, highlighting plastic pollution problems in the environment.