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Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5 mm in length. Microplastics in the air can be ingested and inhaled by humans. In this work, three sites in a roadside area were investigated for microplastics. Air samples were obtained by sucking air at these three sites into a stainless steel funnel with a vacuum pump. The air went through a filter media to retain any particles, which were then collected and observed with a digital microscope and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) testing. A diversity of microplastic shapes were identified at the sites, including fibres, fragments and films. Pellets were not found at any sites, and fibre was the dominant microplastic shape. The highest microplastic was found in the study site with high traffic volume than at sites with low traffic volume. Microplastic on Urip Sumoharjo street (225,087 units/day) as many as 174.97 particles/m3 and 130.50 particles/m3, Mayjend Sungkono street (132,066 units/day) as many as 131.75 particles/m3 and 68.36 particles/m3, and Embong Malang street (98,017 units/day) as much 94.69 particles/m3 and 55.93 particles/m3. Microplastics from different polymers, such as polyethene terephthalate (PET), polyester and cellophane, were identified. Thus, dust emissions and depositions in the air, on land surfaces, and in aquatic environments are associated with microplastic transportation.

Airborne microplastics smaller than 5 mm in diameter can be easily inhaled by humans, impacting their health. The human exposure to microplastics can occur in indoor environments, and this study investigated the degree of indoor deposition of microplastics in settled dust. The authors assessed the relationship between the number of occupants/people and the amount of microplastics in their indoor environment by determining the indoor microplastic exposure in two offices, two schools, and two apartments in Surabaya, Indonesia. The settled dust was collected using a vacuum cleaner for 10 minutes on a single weekday and the weekend at each study location. The results show that the amount of microplastics collected at each location during workdays exceeded the amount found on weekends. The two offices sampled were found to have the greatest amounts of microplastics (334 particles on a weekday, 242 particles on a weekend; and 351 particles on a weekday, 252 particles on a weekend), and the two apartments produced the least amounts of microplastics (133 particles on a weekday, 127 particles on a weekend; and 108 particles on a weekday, 95 particles on a weekend). The dominant microplastic shape was that of fiber, and the dominant size range of the microplastics collected was 3000-3500 µm. The amount of indoor microplastics is influenced by the activities and the number of occupants/people in the space. The exposure levels indicated here will contribute to the formulation of the environmental health policy recommendations.

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Background: Diarrhea remains a common infectious disease caused by various risk factors in developing countries. This study investigated the incidence rate and temporal associations between diarrhea and meteorological determinants in five regions of Surabaya, Indonesia. Method: Monthly diarrhea records from local governmental health facilities in Surabaya and monthly means of weather variables, including average temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity from Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency were collected from January 2018 to September 2020. The generalized additive model was employed to quantify the time lag association between diarrhea risk and extremely low (5th percentile) and high (95th percentile) monthly weather variations in the north, central, west, south, and east regions of Surabaya (lag of 0–2 months). Result: The average incidence rate for diarrhea was 11.4 per 100,000 during the study period, with a higher incidence during rainy season (November to March) and in East Surabaya. This study showed that the weather condition with the lowest diarrhea risks varied with the region. The diarrhea risks were associated with extremely low and high temperatures, with the highest RR of 5.39 (95% CI 4.61, 6.17) in the east region, with 1 month of lag time following the extreme temperatures. Extremely low relative humidity increased the diarrhea risks in some regions of Surabaya, with the highest risk in the west region at lag 0 (RR = 2.13 (95% CI 1.79, 2.47)). Extremely high precipitation significantly affects the risk of diarrhea in the central region, at 0 months of lag time, with an RR of 3.05 (95% CI 2.09, 4.01). Conclusion: This study identified a high incidence of diarrhea in the rainy season and in the deficient developed regions of Surabaya, providing evidence that weather magnifies the adverse effects of inadequate environmental sanitation. This study suggests the local environmental and health sectors codevelop a weather-based early warning system and improve local sanitation practices as prevention measures in response to increasing risks of infectious diseases.