Jakarta: Invisible pollution is falling from the sky | DW News

0:05 This rain harbors not only the threat of flooding.

0:08 Downpours in Jakarta are contaminated

0:10 with microlastics only detectable under a microscope.

0:14 And scientists are warning that it's getting worse.

0:27 Microplastics come from everyday sources like synthetic clothing,

0:30 plastic packaging, vehicle tires, and other plastic materials.

0:34 All of this ends up in landfills across the country.

0:37 And Indonesia's waste processing facilities are still limited.

0:55 Plastic pollution has been a problem in Indonesia for decades.

0:59 But what is new is the level of contamination in the rain.

1:02 Jakarta's rain carries an average of 15 to 40

1:05 microplastic particles per square meter and scientists say is increasing.

1:10 The dangers posed by inhaling microplastics are still being studied.

1:14 Research suggests that it can cause inflammation,

1:17 impair lung function, and it can have long-term health consequences.

1:23 Scientists like Cordova say that microplastics can carry microbes

1:27 as bacteria and fungi can stick to plastic surfaces.

1:31 This means that microplastics act as carriers for disease.

1:35 The Indonesian government is taking the threat seriously and is

1:39 warning people to stay inside or wear masks during heavy rain.

1:43 But with neither plastic use nor the trash mountains reducing anytime soon,

1:47 it's clear to all that this problem isn't going