Microplastics Now Found in Indonesia's Air and Rain
Microplastics in Indonesia are no longer limited to food and water — they are now also turning up in the country's air and rainfall. The New York Times traveled to Jakarta to investigate the cause.
Microplastic contamination has traditionally been linked to what people eat and drink, but in Indonesia the problem appears to be expanding. Tiny plastic particles are increasingly being detected in the country's air and even in its rain.
A Trip to Jakarta
Sui-Lee Wee, The New York Times's Asia business correspondent, traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, to investigate why microplastics are now reaching the atmosphere rather than just entering the food and water supply.
The finding suggests plastic pollution may be spreading more widely than previously understood, potentially affecting air quality in densely populated cities like Jakarta. The reporting trip aimed to uncover the reasons behind this emerging source of contamination in the Indonesian capital.
The presence of microplastics in air and precipitation has drawn growing attention from scientists and journalists worldwide in recent years, as it may point to long-term environmental and health effects extending beyond the pollution sources already known.
