TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The University of Minnesota school of public health conducted a research with Indian nonprofit organization Orb Media regarding contaminated water consumptions.

According to research leader Mary Kosuth, there are up to an average of 57 particles in each liter of water samples or 4.34 particles in each water sample. The report is compiled under the name, "Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Global Drinking Water: Preliminary Report".

The team tested 159 water samples from around the globe. Twenty-one of the samples were taken from Jakarta and its vicinity throughout January to March.

The research was initiated after the fact that microplastics were discovered to be in the digestive systems of fishes and microorganisms in the waters of Sumatra. Head of Orb Media research team Dan Morrison said that the particles can actually be found everywhere, and was intrigued to know whether they can be found in the glasses of water we consume.

The research was supervised by Sherri Mason who is a professor of the same field from the University of New York. According to Reza Cordova, researcher of ocean pollution assured that the human body has a mechanism that is able to release every foreign object that enters the body, including microplastic.

Reza reminded that microplastic has a non-polar molecule that can act as a glue for carcinogenic particles, which is the main problem caused by the continued impact of having plastic in our oceans.

AMRI MAHBUB | WURAGIL