Abstract

Kampung Pasir Puteh in the Johor Strait exemplifies a critical ecological and socio-economic interface where intensive mussel aquaculture coexists with expanding petrochemical operations, resulting in heightened risks to environmental integrity, public health and food security. Drawing on available literature and field photographic evidence, this study discusses the identifiable hydrocarbons, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), trace metals (Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, V) and microplastics as the defining petrochemical signatures that shape contaminant pathways affecting Perna viridis, a major dietary protein source in Malaysia. Hydrodynamic retention within this semi-enclosed strait promotes pollutant accumulation, while aquaculture infrastructure itself contributes synthetic polymers that degrade into microplastics, acting as vectors for hydrophobic pollutants. Mussels, due to their high filtration capacity, bioaccumulate dissolved and particle-bound contaminants, demonstrating biochemical stress responses that signal potential human health risks through seafood consumption. These pressures are exacerbated by nutrient inputs from land-based runoff, driving harmful algal blooms and hypoxic events that synergise with petrochemical stressors to further reduce mussel resilience.

This study frames ecosystem management using the PESTEL approach by analysing the political need for bilateral governance between Malaysia and Singapore, economic pressures influencing aquaculture viability, social imperatives to protect consumer health, technological gaps in monitoring systems, environmental degradation driven by cumulative pollutants and legal requirements for stricter enforcement of discharge standards. The convergence of these external drivers confirms that petrochemical and maritime activities are the dominant forces shaping aquaculture exposure regimes in the Johor Strait. An integrated PESTEL-guided strategy incorporating buffer zones, industrial-aquaculture spatial planning, targeted biomonitoring of hydrocarbons-metals-microplastics and material innovation in farm infrastructure is essential to balance industrial development with sustainable mussel production. This approach ensures ecosystem resilience and secures food safety in a region of strategic economic importance.

Keywords:Mussels; Petrochemical pollution; PAHs and heavy metals; mussel aquaculture risk; Johor strait