JakartaPost-Nov 19
New research has found that the air in several major Indonesian cities is contaminated with microplastics, posing threats to public health and the environment. The study, conducted by the Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation Foundation (ECOTON) in collaboration with the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ) between May and July 2025, examined air quality in 18 cities across the country. The research employed passive air deposition monitoring, placing glass petri dishes at a height of 1-1.5 meters which corresponds to the human breathing zone at representative locations in each city to collect airborne particles. The samples were then subsequently analyzed under a microscope to identify the types of microplastics present. The research found that all cities surveyed were contaminated with microplastics to varying degrees. Central Jakarta and South Jakarta recorded the highest concentrations, with 37 and 30 microplastic particles collected from every 9-square-centimeter petri dish during the two-hour sampling period, respectively. They were followed by Bandung in West Java (16 particles), Semarang in Central Java (13), Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara (13), Denpasar in Bali (12) and Surabaya in East Java (12). Analysis of the samples showed that most microplastics were small fragments (53 percent) and fibers (46 percent), with a very small amount present as thin films (0.6 percent). The analysis found several types of plastics in the air. PTFE, often used in nonstick cookware and electrical insulation, epoxy, which is found in adhesives and coatings and polyisobutylene, commonly used in tires and sealants, were all detected. “Poor waste management has forced many people to burn trash, which significantly contributes to microplastic pollution,” she said in a recent press briefing. Despite being banned under Law No. 18/2008 on Waste Management, open burning is still common because of growing waste volumes and limited disposal options. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/11/19/microplastics-detected-in-air-across-18-major-cities-in-indonesia-study.html.
