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Plastic Wastes Distribution Pattern in the Covid-19 Era in Kreo Sub-Watershed Basin, Semarang City
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This study mapped plastic waste distribution in a river sub-watershed in Semarang, Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that single-use plastic use increased due to pandemic-related behaviour changes. Researchers found plastic entering waterways increased during lockdowns, raising risks of microplastic pollution in downstream environments.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia has occurred since March 2020 has caused restrictions on people’s mobility and forced people to adapt by changing people’s consumption patterns. To reduce direct interaction, people use products that are more durable, easy to take home, and hygienic. The use of plastic packaging and single-use plastic products is increasing. Without waste management, plastic dumped into rivers will increase and ultimately increase the potential for microplastic pollution. This study aimed to analyze and compare the types and distribution of plastic wastes in the Kreo sub-watershed basin sediments. Types of plastic wastes are categorized according to the Van Emmerik classification. Research samples were taken at 17 locations. This study uses a survey method with a qualitative descriptive approach. The average abundance of plastic wastes is 6-24 n/m2. The characteristics of plastic wastes in the upstream are dominated by PO-soft (47.95%), similar to the middle (51.12%), and in the downstream, it is dominated by multilayer (65%). The area with the most significant accumulation of plastic waste is downstream (20 n/m2) due to denser settlements, extensive sedimentation and river topography. The type of plastic waste in the Kreo sub-watershed basin can be a source of microplastic pollution in the future.
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COVID-19 and Plastic Pollution in the Citarum River, Indonesia
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This study examines how the COVID-19 pandemic increased single-use plastic waste entering the heavily polluted Citarum River in Indonesia, focusing on the implications for vulnerable communities living along its banks. While direct pandemic-linked data are limited, the authors argue that government programs and community engagement are urgently needed to prevent pandemic-driven plastic surges from compounding existing river pollution crises.
Microplastic pollution in the coastal water of Jakarta Bay, Indonesia
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This study investigated microplastic pollution in Jakarta Bay coastal waters during the COVID-19 pandemic period, when single-use plastic use increased. Microplastics were detected at all three sampling sites, with fibers and fragments dominant, highlighting the bay as a significant sink for plastics from 13 inflowing rivers.
Seasonal heterogeneity and a link to precipitation in the release of microplastic during COVID-19 outbreak from the Greater Jakarta area to Jakarta Bay, Indonesia
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Researchers found microplastics in all nine river outlets flowing into Jakarta Bay, with concentrations linked to rainfall intensity and higher near the eastern bay where human activity is greater, highlighting storm runoff as a key pathway for land-based plastic pollution reaching the ocean.
Preliminary Study of Microplastic Abundance in Rivers of Greater Semarang Area, Indonesia
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Researchers surveyed two rivers in the Semarang region of Indonesia and found microplastics at every sampling site, with concentrations increasing downstream and polyethylene sheet fragments — likely from single-use plastic bags — being the most common type, underlining the need for better waste management to reduce plastic entering waterways.
Did the COVID-19 pandemic play a role in the spatial and temporal variations of microplastics? Evidence from a tropical river in southern India
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Monitoring of the Netravathi River in southern India before and after COVID-19 lockdowns found that microplastic concentrations were highest during monsoon seasons and actually declined during the lockdown period, likely due to reduced rainfall and restricted human activity. After the lockdown ended, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) — associated with PPE and food packaging — rose sharply to 74% of all polymers detected in post-monsoon samples. The study shows how pandemic-related changes in plastic use and movement can rapidly shift the composition and quantity of microplastics in rivers.
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