Microplastics Found In Anticise Water To Urine By UNAIR Researchers, This Is A Risk For Health

Microplastic illustration (Photo: Freepic/EyeEm)

JAKARTA - Findings about the existence of microplastics in the human body have worried many again. Through research in the Gresik region, a researcher and lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, found that microplastics are not only present in waste sorting workers, but are also detected in pregnant women's airfall, blood, and urine.

Dr Lestari Sudaryanti, Dr. MKes, explained that research samples were taken from waste sorters in three locations, namely TPA Ngitik, Bawean, and Wringinanom.

In an interview on Monday, November 24, 2025, he said that the first stage of research was indeed focused on waste sorting workers at the three points. Furthermore, the second study was carried out on pregnant women's water at several health facilities in Gresik, as well as working with NGO Wonjin from Korea for blood and urine analysis.

"For the airfall, the total sample is around 48 and all of them are positive for microplastics," he said, as quoted from the Unair page.

He also said microplastics were found in urine with varying number of particles. All data was obtained using a microscope to calculate the number of particles per milliliter.

According to Dr Lestari, the complete identification from the Korean side is still waiting for the final results. But so far, most of the types of microplastics found come from the phthalates group. In addition, preliminary indications also show the presence of several compounds such as naphthalene, fluorine, pyrene, styrene, as well as heavy metals such as kadmium (Cd), lead, chrom (Cr), and nickel.

"The flexible plastics contain lots of phthalates, especially single-use plastics," he explained.

He also said that heavy metals can stick to plastic as a stabilizer material, so that they enter the human body.

To find out the microplastic entry path to the air of the deceased, the blood of the pregnant women was also examined. The sending of samples abroad is done in the form of plasma and whole blood because it is more likely than carrying water samples.

In theory, microplastic exposure can trigger oxidative stress and inflammation, then affect the body's metabolism including hormones.

"Plastics are estrogenic, so they are at risk for estrogen-related diseases, such as PCOS," he explained.

He also explained that microplastics can enter through air, food, drinks, or skin contact. In the respiratory tract, these particles can reach alleoli and cause disturbances such as COPD.

Furthermore, the buildup of microplastics is believed to interfere with insulin and metabolism functions, thereby increasing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

"Based on objective measurements of the female waste sorting officer, we see that the findings of obesity are high, about 48 percent then the nutrition is more than 17 percent." he said.

Dr Lestari explained that after entering the bloodstream, microplastics can spread and reach vital organs, including the brain. Several other studies have also shown that microplastics are able to penetrate the brain's sawar. In microscopic observations, the microplastic shape is very diverse, ranging from fiber, filament, to microbeams.

"And there are a lot of microbeams in skincare products that are rich in facial cleansing, to reduce acne," he said.

He also explained that microplastics can fall along with rain, be absorbed by plants, or enter the food chain through kalaulan and fish. To reduce the impact in the body, he suggests eating more fibered and antioxidant-rich foods.

"We can try to minimize the impact of the presence of plastic in our blood. Some of what is recommended is because what is widely targeted is oxidative stress, so antioxidant is important," he added.

The finding that all water samples from 48 pregnant women contain microplastics raises their own concerns. Dr Lestari said that the examination of the DLDH Malon showed an increase in levels in some samples, although the exact relationship with the number of microplastics is still under research.

"The baby eats air. So there must be an impact," he said.

However, he stressed that further research is needed to determine the specific biological impact, including trials on animals. In this research, most babies were born with normal weight, although some cases of low birth weight were still found.

As a precautionary measure, he emphasized the importance of protection for people at high risk, such as workers in the TPA area.

"You have to wear personal protective equipment, masks, and wash your hands thoroughly. Automatically you have to have regular health control. Due to the tendency to be obese and more nutrition, women who are more susceptible to plastic carry that risk when pregnant. Babies in an environment full of oxidative stress will also experience an impact on metabolism", concluded Dr Lestari.