Kompas Editorial : Microplastic Pollution Around Us

The air in 18 regencies and cities in Indonesia is contaminated with microplastics. This pollution, which can fall with rainwater, is a warning to residents.

Source :   Microplastic Pollution Around Us A plastic waste tap installation is displayed during the "Single-Use Plastic Fast" campaign in front of the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya, East Java, on Tuesday (February 25, 2025). Ecoton's action was motivated by the serious impact of the flood of single-use plastic waste. Microplastics produced from unrecycled waste are harmful to health. They are encouraging manufacturers to provide products with refillable or reusable systems 

The Institute for Ecology and Wetland Conservation Studies (Ecoton) and the Society  of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ) studied airborne microplastic contamination in 18 cities and regencies across Indonesia from May to July 2025. The five cities with the highest levels of microplastic contamination were Central Jakarta, South Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, and Kupang, respectively. The 12 other cities also studied included Denpasar, Jambi, Surabaya, Palembang, Pontianak, North Aceh, Sumbawa, Palu, Sidoarjo, Gianyar, Surakarta, Bulukumba, and Malang ( Kompas , 10/24/2025).

Prior to the Ecoton-SIEJ study, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) had observed that rainwater in Jakarta contained microplastic particles. The Ecoton-SIEJ study supports BRIN's findings, which showed that Jakarta's airborne microplastic contamination was higher than in other cities studied.

In detail, the Ecoton-SIEJ research found that the types of polymers found in the air were more diverse than those detected in rainwater. In addition to the five polymers identified in rainwater—polyester, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polybutadiene—Ecoton-SIEJ researchers also detected polytetrafluoroethylene, epoxy, polyisobutylene, polyolefin, and silica in the air.

We may not realize that microplastic pollution stems from everyday activities, particularly the habit of burning plastic waste. Research by BRIN and Ecoton-SIEJ shows this.

BRIN researcher M. Reza Cordova stated that microplastics in rainwater originate from synthetic fibers in clothing, dust and vehicle tires, residue from burning plastic waste, and plastic degradation in open spaces. Ecoton-SIEJ Research Volunteer Coordinator Sofi Azilan Aini added that the greater diversity of microplastic polymers in the air is due to the habit of burning plastic waste (57 percent).

Research from BRIN and Ecoton-SIEJ shows that microplastic pollution is all around us, affecting residents of at least 18 regencies and cities. Microplastic pollution, along with other air pollutants dissolved in rainwater, constantly threatens our health, especially our lungs. Therefore, we need to start paying attention to these research findings.

The government also needs to follow up on Ecoton-SIEJ's recommendations to reduce microplastic pollution. Ecoton-SIEJ recommends, among other things, banning open waste burning and strengthening environmental law enforcement at the village level. Furthermore, it should strengthen public campaigns and environmental education to change public behavior regarding waste burning and the consumption of single-use plastics.