MONITORING MICROPLASTICS TO BECOME A RIVER DETECTIVE

Microplastic observations with a microscope with a magnification of 100-1000 times carried out in the Inspiration Telik Sandi School laboratory will result in the birth of active and critical river detectives to save rivers from pollution

Ecological observation and Wetlands Conservation (ecoton) supported by PLN Peduli opens a Telik Sandi school to educate participants to become river detectives. detectives are equipped with knowledge about plankton and microplastic identification, which is currently a problem of water pollution “in the Telik Sandi school activity, participants will be equipped with knowledge about the identification of microplastics and plankton, these two topics of discussion are very important because the presence of microplastics in waters currently threatens the presence of plankton which is the basis of the aquatic food chain” Said Andreas Agus Kristanto Nugroho, the coordinator of the Telik Sandi School which was initiated by Ecoton. The materials that will be presented to the participants are 1. Learning about river insects; Biodiversity and insect and plant interactions, 2. Learning about river plants; Biodiversity and the role of plants in river ecosystems, 3. Learning about plankton and biotilik; Monitoring the quality of river water with biological indicators, 4. Learning about microplastics; types and sources of microplastic pollution and 5. learning about water quality and sources of water pollution, introduction to sources of industrial pollution and the impact of water pollution on river ecosystems. 6. Participants also learned to write research reports and use social media as a tool to advocate for river protection from pollution. Telik Sandi School A Solution to River Problems River damage should now be a priority for the community and government because currently most rivers in Indonesia are heavily polluted, even though more than 85% of the raw material for drinking water for Indonesians comes from surface water. The active role of the community and government is needed to be part of the solution. "The Telik Sandi school wants to educate people to be part of the solution to the river problem, the Telik Sandi school will introduce the river ecosystem, invite empathy, design dreams about the future river and design real action to save rivers , "Said Andreas Agus Kristanto Nugroho 4 Process in Telik Sandi School invites people to live in harmony with rivers 1. Knowing the river, talking about rivers, is not enough if only knowing the ecology but also talking about social and economic issues as well as the sustainability of rivers for future generations. 2. Emphati River A sense of empathy for rivers will only emerge if we often grapple with the problems and problems of the rivers around us. Out of empathy, new ideas emerged to be part of the solution to the problems of the river. 3. Dream river dream is the key to success in restoring the river, by having this dream it will be easier for us to start small steps for restoring the river 4. Action is meaningless if the community does not take a small movement / action for the river, and the efforts of movement- We must share this movement with other communities so that from the small movements / actions we take to become big steps in restoring the river.

The River Detective Activity in the Telik sandi school program is taking microplastic and plankton samples in Surabaya River