Serious Research Needed on Impact of Microplastics
Amid reports of microplastics contaminating the environment and a number of animal species, the scientific data pointing to the impact of microplastics on food safety and wellbeing remain limited. More research is needed on the impacts of microplastic contamination.
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JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Amid reports of microplastics contaminating the environment and a number of animal species, the scientific data pointing to the impact of microplastics on food safety and wellbeing remain limited. More research is needed to obtain a clearer and more comprehensive picture on the impacts of microplastic contamination.
University of Indonesia professor of internal medicine Ari Fahrial Syam said on Friday (26/10/2018) that microplastics were basically foreign objects. If they get into the human digestive system, they may damage the stomach or intestines. “If they get stuck in the gastrointestinal wall, they can cause inflammation,” said Ari, who is also the dean of the university’s school of medicine.
The latest research from the Medical University of Vienna and the Environment Agency Austria, which was presented at United European Gastroenterology Week 2018 in Vienna, showed that microplastics were found in the stool samples of eight test participants from Austria, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, the UK and Japan (Kompas, 26/10).
Ari said the research results showed the presence of microplastics in fecal matter but not in urine and blood. Traces of microplastics in urine, he continued, might signify health problems in the kidney.
Microplastics do not lead to hypersensitivity or have other immediate effects on the human body. It will only be harmful once it reaches a certain level of concentration in the body. More research is required to find out the effects of microplastic contamination, both in the environment and the human body.
Chemical additives
Hasanuddin University professor of maritime sciences and fisheries Akbar Tahir said plastics might contain various chemical additives. Marine or ship coating paints, for instance, contain polymers that can protect ships from fungus and barnacles. Exposure to such chemical agents may lead to cancer, hormonal disruptions and even infertility.
A joint study between Hasanuddin University and the University of California Davis in 2014 and 2015 found microplastics in the digestive tracts of fish and shells in Makassar and California. Of the 10 anchovies used in the research in Makassar, four were found with microplastics in their digestive tract.
In November, Akbar will begin research to find out the chemical content of microplastics in the internal organs of fish. The joint study with BaliFokus will use fish samples obtained in Makassar, Bitung, West Lombok, Lamongan, Jakarta and Bengkulu.
Based on this information of chemical content in fish internal organs, researchers will be able to understand the effects of microplastics on the fish and then on animals further up the food chain, including humans. Research on microplastics in humans is now gaining traction in advanced countries.
Akbar said that, in one of his studies, he also found that microplastics had contaminated salt in salt ponds. Further research is needed to find out the origins of the filament-shaped microplastics.
The Environment and Forestry Ministry’s director of waste management, Novrizal Tahar, said Indonesia was on the right track to reducing and managing waste. Waste management, such as recycling, currently only takes in 10-11 percent of waste produced nationwide. The government is making efforts to increase this, including by providing economic incentives for recycling businesses.
Presidential Regulation No. 97/2017 on national household waste management strategy includes a target of proper management for 70 percent of waste produced nationwide by 2025.