Surabaya, October 2025 — The Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation (ECOTON) Foundation, in collaboration with the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ), conducted a study from May to July 2025 on microplastic contamination in ambient air across 18 cities and regencies in Indonesia. The results revealed that the five cities with the highest contamination levels are: Central Jakarta (37 particles/2 hours/90 cm), South Jakarta (30), Bandung (16), Semarang (13), and Kupang (13).
Graph 1. Identification of Microplastics in Air
Samples from 18 Indonesian Cities (May–July 2025).
The cities with the highest levels are Central
Jakarta, followed by South Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Kupang, Denpasar, Jambi,
Surabaya, Palembang, Pontianak, North Aceh, Sumbawa, Palu, Sidoarjo, Gianyar,
Solo, Bulukumba, and Malang. The data indicate that the microplastic
composition consists of 53.26% fragments, 46.14% fibers, and 0.6% films.
Jakarta’s
Rainwater Contaminated with Microplastics
Research by Indonesia’s National Research and
Innovation Agency (BRIN) revealed that rainwater in Jakarta contains
microplastic particles. According to researcher M. Reza Cordova, microplastics
in rainwater originate from synthetic fibers from clothing, vehicle dust and tire
wear, residues from plastic waste burning, and degradation of plastics in open
spaces.
In one square meter of rainwater catchment, 15 microplastic particles were found — primarily synthetic fibers and fragments of polymers such as polyester, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polybutadiene from vehicle tires.
These findings from BRIN are supported by ECOTON
and SEIJ’s research, which shows that microplastic contamination in Jakarta’s
air ranks the highest among all studied cities.
“The high concentration of airborne microplastics
in Jakarta contributes to the elevated microplastic levels found in rainwater,”
explained Rafika Aprilianti, Head of ECOTON’s Microplastic Laboratory.
“Rainwater absorbs materials suspended in the atmosphere, causing airborne
microplastics to be captured and dissolved in rain.”
The types of microplastics found in Jakarta’s air
are dominated by two main forms: fibers and fragments, with a smaller portion
identified as films. The adjacent diagram shows that the distribution of
microplastic particles consists of 53.26% fragments, 46.14% fibers, and 0.6%
films.
“The greater diversity of airborne microplastic polymers is largely due to **the burning of plastic waste — a common practice among 57% of households — caused by inadequate waste management services in Indonesia. This contributes significantly to the high levels of microplastic particles found in our air,” said Sofi Azilan Aini, Coordinator of the Microplastic Research Volunteer Team.
She further explained that Jakarta has the highest level of airborne microplastic contamination in Indonesia, with 37 particles collected within a two-hour sampling period, far exceeding cities like Malang, which recorded only 2 microplastic particles in the same duration.
Air sampling locations in Jakarta included Tanah Abang Market, Sawah Besar Street, and the Ragunan area. Tanah Abang Market — the largest textile trading center in Southeast Asia — has become a microplastic hotspot due to a combination of factors: heavy traffic emissions, single-use plastic consumption, intense loading and unloading activities, and synthetic fiber release from textiles. The airborne fragments and fibers disperse through the wind and can later descend with rainfall, explaining the emerging “microplastic rain” phenomenon that has recently drawn attention in Jakarta.In contrast, the lowest abundance of airborne microplastics was recorded in Malang, with only 2 particles detected in 2 hours, likely due to low industrial activity, limited waste burning, and the dominance of natural vegetation in the area.
“Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than
5 millimeters in size. Their surfaces easily bind to surrounding toxic
substances such as heavy metals and other hazardous chemicals. As a result,
microplastics can be up to 106 times more toxic than a single heavy metal, as
they carry a mixture of multiple pollutants at once,” explained Rafika
Aprilianti, Head of ECOTON’s Microplastic Laboratory.
The research steps included:
1. Placement
of glass petri dishes at a height of 1–1.5 meters (the human breathing zone) in
representative locations across each city.
2. Collection
of airborne particles through natural deposition over a 2-hour period using
sterile wet Whatman filter paper.
3. Separation
of plastic particles under a stereo microscope, followed by identification of
their shapes (fiber, film, fragment), color, size, and polymer confirmation
using FTIR spectroscopy.
Several international studies have shown that
plastic burning can generate microplastic particles and synthetic aerosols that
persist in the atmosphere and can be transported by wind over hundreds of
kilometers. When these particles interact with water vapor in the atmosphere,
they may descend with rainfall, forming the phenomenon now widely known as
“microplastic rain.”
ECOTON’s Policy Recommendations for the Government
and the Ministry of Environment
2. Improve waste segregation facilities at the source and expand the Zero Waste Cities network in every subdistrict.
3. Develop organic waste processing systems (such as composting and biodigesters) to reduce the volume of waste that is prone to burning.
4. Conduct regular monitoring of microplastic concentrations in air and rainwater in Jakarta as a foundation for science-based policymaking.
5. Strengthen public campaigns and environmental education to change community behavior regarding waste burning and the use of single-use plastics.
6. Through these measures, Jakarta can reduce airborne microplastic emissions, protect public health, and build a fairer and more sustainable waste management system.
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