Approximately 381 million tons of plastic are produced globally every year, and the majority of it ends up as pollutants. In the environment, plastic waste is fragmented into microplastic particles less than 5 mm in size; owing to their small size, durability, and abundance, they can easily be dispersed, incorporated into the food chains, and enter the human body. The extent of microplastic exposure in the human body has become a major concern in many countries, including in Indonesia, the second largest plastic waste contributor in the world. Here, we report the detection of microplastics in human stools collected from a fisherman community in the coastal area of Surabaya, Indonesia. Microplastics were found in more than 50% of samples analyzed with a concentration ranging from 3.33 to 13.99 µg of microplastic per gram of feces (µg/g). HDPE was observed as the most prevalent type of microplastic, with an average concentration of 9.195 µg/g in positive samples. Different types of microplastics were also detected in seafood, staple foods, drinking water, table salts, and toothpaste, which were regularly used and consumed by the study participants. Results from this preliminary study indicate widespread contamination of microplastic in the human body and in consumables associated with the coastal populations of Indonesia.

Plastic is one of the most abundant pollutants in the environment. As a result of natural physical processes, large plastic waste is degraded into microsized particles (<5 mm) called microplastics. Because of their size, abundance, and durability, microplastics are widely distributed in the environment, contaminating food and water intended for human consumption. The extent of microplastic contamination in the human body is still unclear because there are few studies concerning microplastic contamination in human specimens and, in most studies, data were collected from city dwellers. Despite having the fourth largest population and being the fourth largest plastic waste producer in the world and second largest plastic polluter in the ocean, there are currently no data with respect to microplastic exposure for the Indonesian population. Several studies have reported on microplastic contamination in seafood and freshwater organisms from Indonesia, and it is likely that microplastics have contaminated the gastrointestinal tracts of Indonesians. Using Raman spectroscopy, we detected microplastic contamination in 7 out of 11 analyzed stool samples collected from a farming community in the highland village of Pacet, East Java, Indonesia. Polypropylene (PP) was the most abundant and prevalent type of microplastic observed, and it was found in four of the positive samples with an average concentration of 10.19 microgram per gram of feces (μg/g). Microplastics were also detected at high concentrations in tempeh (soybean cake, a staple protein source for Indonesians), table salts, and toothpaste, which were regularly consumed and used by the study participants. PP was particularly high in table salts (2.6 μg/g) and toothpaste (15.42 μg/g), suggesting that these products might contribute to the gastrointestinal contamination in the studied population. This pilot study indicated microplastic contamination in the rural Indonesian population and in their daily consumables, demonstrating the far-reaching extent of microplastic pollution beyond urban areas.

Microplastics are major pollutants in the environment, and it is currently established that microplastics have already entered human food chains and been incorporated into the human body through ingestion and inhalation. Several works in animal models have already reported the adverse effect of microplastic exposure on biological systems; however, the effect of microplastic contamination on human health is still far from understood. In previous work, we reported microplastic contamination in the digestive tract of the Indonesian coastal and highland population. Using the same stool samples, we extended our previous work by investigating gut microbial composition in samples with and without microplastic contamination using next-generation sequencing. We found that microplastic contamination does not affect overall gut microbial composition and the abundance of gut-health-related genes. However, we found a negative and positive correlation between specific types of microplastics with certain bacterial taxa, especially from the genera Roseburia, Clostridium, and Prevotella. Despite the lack of a profound effect on the gut microbiome, we detected for the first time the presence of genes encoding plastic-degrading enzymes in the human gut microbiome, suggesting an adaptation of gut microbiome to microplastic contamination.

Losses during post-harvest management is a common problem faced in the agricultural sector. To prolong the preservation time perishable fruits, such as banana, an edible coating is one alternative method for fruit preservation method. Aims of this research are to utilise chitosan nanoparticle as a good coat and to observe its effect on Cavendish bananas (Musa acuminata AAA group) ripening process. In this study, we synthesised and characterised chitosan nanoparticle, as well as observed chitosan nanoparticle coating effect on fruit ripening process. We showed the ionic gelation method could be used to produce chitosan nanoparticles with an average diameter of 102.4 - 370 nm and the polydispersity index of 0.251 − 0.303. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed a new peak which indicated an interaction of amide groups in chitosan and tripolyphosphate groups in NaTPP. A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) showed a smoother skin contour on coated banana compared to control (non-coated). Observations of physical characteristics of bananas ripening showed that fruits coated with chitosan nanoparticles 0.2% has a slower skin discolouration by 2-3 days compared to control treatment.

The heterogeneity of the lung microbiome and its alteration are prevalently seen among chronic lung diseases patients. However, studies to date have primarily focused on the bacterial microbiome in the lung rather than fungal composition, which might play an essential role in the mechanisms of several chronic lung diseases. It is now well established that Aspergillus spp. colonies may induce various unfavorable inflammatory responses. Furthermore, bacterial microbiomes such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa provide several mechanisms that inhibit or stimulate Aspergillus spp. life cycles. In this review, we highlighted fungal and bacterial microbiome interactions in the respiratory tract, with a focus on Aspergillus spp.