After the conduct of the hands-on training at the Bolinao Marine Laboratory, PlastiCount-TP participants are now ready to implement their learnings to the case studies they have proposed in the first month of the program.
The Watershed and Water Resources Research, Development and Extension Center (WWRRDEC) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) representatives conducted their fieldwork in the Balili River with two sites in Tublay and La Trinidad, Benguet. They are exploring the microplastics content in water and sediment samples from urban and rural areas of the river.
The Toxic and Hazardous Wastes Research, Development and Extension Center (THWRDEC) of the DENR representatives conducted a macroplastics survey, drone survey and sediment sampling in Baseco Beach along Manila Bay. Their goal is to be able to characterize the plastics in the beach and provide a baseline.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR did a five-day water sampling and macroplastics survey of the Parañaque River as a mini-monitoring study. They will explore the effects of rain on micro and macroplastic concentrations in the river as it flows directly out into Manila Bay.
And last but not the least, the Marine Environmental Protection Command of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG-MEPCOM) conducted a manual and drone survey for the macroplastics in four barangays in Batangas Bay, followed by water and sediment sampling for microplastics. The team will generate a baseline for the bay based from their fieldwork. Additionally, an opportunity to collate data from their Garbage Record Book for sea-based disposal is also in the works.
This stage in the training program presented an opportunity for the trainees to have their colleagues join and learn micro and macroplastic quantification techniques.
