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Identification and characterization of Microplastics in the Kartamantul Water Supply System, Yogyakarta, and its Potential Human Exposure
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Researchers tracked tiny plastic particles (microplastics) through a water treatment system in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and found that standard treatment removes about 94% of them—but some still make it through to household taps, adding up to an estimated 18.73 particles per kilogram of body weight consumed daily. This matters because it shows current water treatment isn't fully eliminating microplastics from our drinking water, meaning extra filtering steps may be needed to reduce what ends up in your glass.
Microplastics are emerging contaminants that can enter drinking water systems from rawwater sources. This study is the first to evaluate microplastics across all treatment stages ofthe Kartamantul Regional Water Supply System (RWSS) in Yogyakarta. Water samples werecollected from nine points along the treatment process (intake to customer taps) and analyzedusing a modified NOAA method with organic matter digestion, filtration, and microscopicobservation. Supporting parameters (pH, temperature, turbidity, TSS) were assessed viaSpearman’s correlation. Results showed the highest concentration at the intake (964particles/100 mL), decreasing to 55 particles/100 mL at the clearwell (94.3% removal).Fragments dominated, with black microplastics being most persistent. Estimated dailyexposure at household taps averaged 18.73 particles/kg body weight/day. Turbidity and pHshowed strong positive correlations with microplastic abundance. These findings indicateconventional treatment effectively reduces microplastics, but additional measures are neededat final treatment stages and within distribution networks to limit consumer exposure
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