Jakarta, September 23, 2021. Microscopic tests on disposable water gallons revealed the presence of microplastic content in the samples. The Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory of the University of Indonesia conducted tests on samples of disposable water gallons circulating in the Greater Jakarta area, as well as analyzed water sources.

"Disposable water gallons were chosen as the object of research due to the lack of previous studies specifically addressing their use," explained Dr. rer.nat., Agustino Zulys, M.Sc. from the University of Indonesia.

The research yielded the following key findings:

Sample B of disposable water gallons contained 85 million microplastic particles per liter, equivalent to 0.2 mg/liter. Sample A contained 95 million microplastic particles per liter, equivalent to 5 mg/liter.

The microplastic found was of the same type as the plastic used in the disposable water gallon packaging, namely PET.

Characterization analysis showed that the majority of microplastic particles were fragments, ranging in size from 2.44 to 63.65 μm.

Analysis of water sources, namely Sentul Spring and Situ Gunung Spring, revealed that water samples from these sources also contained microplastics, ranging in size from 3.20 μm to 66.56 μm. However, the microplastic content in the water sources was lower than in bottled drinking water (AMDK). This suggests that the presence of microplastics in disposable water gallon AMDK may originate from the degradation of the plastic packaging itself.

Although the microplastic findings in the samples did not exceed the safety limits set by the WHO, long-term consumption still poses a significant health risk to humans. This study estimated the daily microplastic exposure from disposable water gallon AMDK to the human body, through a questionnaire survey of 38 respondents in the Greater Jakarta area who consumed the tested disposable water gallons. The results, based on microplastic concentration data per liter of AMDK and daily public consumption data, showed that daily microplastic exposure from sample A was calculated at 9,450 mg/day and from sample B at 0.378 mg/day.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency in 2016, approximately 31% of Indonesian people rely on AMDK as their primary drinking water source, which is the highest figure compared to other water sources. This high dependency has the potential to cause harmful health effects, such as tissue damage and an increased risk of cancer, if AMDK producers do not pay attention to the quality of their product packaging. "Alternative delivery methods should be a priority for producers, as it is clear that disposable plastics have the potential to threaten health and exacerbate environmental problems. The capacity of Final Disposal Sites in many locations has exceeded the maximum limit, and only a few producers have published Waste Reduction Roadmaps as regulated by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry," said Afifah Rahmi Andini from Greenpeace Indonesia.

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