Empowering Women of 'Aisyiyah Wonosari in Preventing Microplastics Impacts on Reproductive Health

Annisa' Wigati Rozifa; Rizqie Putri Novembriani; Fathiya Luthfil  Yumni

doi:10.37680/amalee.v6i2.8183

Authors

Annisa' Wigati Rozifa Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya
Rizqie Putri Novembriani Universitas Negeri Malang
Fathiya Luthfil Yumni Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37680/amalee.v6i2.8183

Keywords:

‘Aisyiyah Wonosari, Community empowerment, Environmental Health, Microplastics, Reproductive Health

Abstract

Microplastics have emerged as a significant threat to human health, particularly affecting the female reproductive system. This community service program aimed to increase the knowledge of ‘Aisyiyah Members in Wonosari, Bondowoso, about the dangers of microplastics and to encourage the adoption of a healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyle. The program employed a participatory, community-based approach that included socialization, education, and training sessions focusing on reproductive health and household waste management. The team employed interactive methods, including PowerPoint presentations, posters, and guidebooks, to enhance engagement and foster a deeper understanding. They implemented a pre- and post-test design to measure the improvement in knowledge among 51 participants. The results showed an 80% increase in participants' knowledge regarding the dangers of microplastics and their impacts on reproductive health. The establishment of the "Emak EcoCare" community further ensured program sustainability by empowering women as environmental cadres to promote waste sorting and healthy lifestyle practices. This program demonstrated that community-based education can effectively raise awareness and foster behavioral change in managing household waste and reducing microplastic exposure. Continued mentoring and replication are recommended to ensure the long-term sustainability of these efforts.

References

Acharya, S., Rumi, S. S., Hu, Y., & Abidi, N. (2021). Microfibers from synthetic textiles as a major source of microplastics in the environment: A review. Textile Research Journal, 91(17–18), 2136–2156.

Al Mamun, A., Prasetya, T. A. E., Dewi, I. R., & Ahmad, M. (2023a). Microplastics in human food chains: Food becoming a threat to health safety. Science of the Total Environment, 858, 159834.

Al Mamun, A., Prasetya, T. A. E., Dewi, I. R., & Ahmad, M. (2023b). Microplastics in human food chains: Food becoming a threat to health safety. Science of the Total Environment, 858, 159834.

Ali, W., Buriro, R. S., Gandahi, J. A., Chen, Y., ul Aabdin, Z., Bhutto, S., Sun, J., Zhu, J., Liu, Z., & Zou, H. (2024). A critical review of male-female reproductive and developmental toxicity induced by microplastics and nanoplastics through different signaling pathways. Chemico-Biological Interactions, 110976.

Amereh, F., Babaei, M., Eslami, A., Fazelipour, S., & Rafiee, M. (2020). The emerging risk of exposure to nano (micro) plastics on endocrine disturbance and reproductive toxicity: From a hypothetical scenario to a global public health challenge. Environmental Pollution, 261, 114158.

Balali, H., Morabbi, A., & Karimian, M. (2024). Concerning influences of micro/nano plastics on female reproductive health: focusing on cellular and molecular pathways from animal models to human studies. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 22(1), 141.

Da Costa, J. P., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. A. P. (2017). Microplastics–occurrence, fate and behaviour in the environment. In Comprehensive analytical chemistry (Vol. 75, pp. 1–24). Elsevier.

De la Torre, G. E. (2020). Microplastics: an emerging threat to food security and human health. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 57(5), 1601–1608.

Deus, R. M., Esguícero, F. J., Battistelle, R. A. G., & Jugend, D. (2022). Drivers and Barriers to Successful Solid Waste Management: Assessing Through an Aggregated Indicator. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 24(4), 1476–1484.

Ernawati, E., Rohyani, I. S., Suripto, S., Jupri, A., Rahayu, R. N., & Isrowati, I. (2023). Sosialisasi Pengolahan Sampah Organik Menjadi Eco-Enzyme dan Produk Turunannya di Kawasan Ekowisata Mangrove Bagek Kembar, Sekotong, Lombok Barat. Jurnal Gema Ngabdi, 5(3), 285–292. https://doi.org/10.29303/jgn.v5i3.368

Ghosh, S., Sinha, J. K., Ghosh, S., Vashisth, K., Han, S., & Bhaskar, R. (2023). Microplastics as an emerging threat to the global environment and human health. Sustainability, 15(14), 10821.

Hossain, M. S. (2024). People’s attitudes regarding plastics and microplastics pollution: Perceptions, behaviors, and policy implications. Marine Policy, 165, 106219.

Inam, Ö. (2025a). Impact of microplastics on female reproductive health: insights from animal and human experimental studies: a systematic review. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 1–16.

Inam, Ö. (2025b). Impact of microplastics on female reproductive health: insights from animal and human experimental studies: a systematic review. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 1–16.

Kannan, K., & Vimalkumar, K. (2021). A Review of Human Exposure to Microplastics and Insights into Microplastics as Obesogens. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12, 724989.

Kusumaningrum, B. R. (2023). Waste Management Towards Community Welfare and a Sustainable Environment. Journal of Innovation and Applied Technology, 09(02), 108–113. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.jiat.2023.9.2.16

Lindsay, J., Rogers, B. C., Church, E., Gunn, A., Hammer, K., Dean, A. J., & Fielding, K. (2019). The role of community champions in long-term sustainable urban water planning. Water, 11(3), 476.

Lynn, H., Rech, S., & Samwel-Mantingh, M. (2017). Plastics, gender, and the environment. Women Engage for a Common Future and the United Nations.

Muarief, R., Aziz, M., Thousani, H. F., Yuliana, I., Syarifah, I., Setiawan, A. D., & Amir, V. (2023). Pengolahan Limbah Rumah Tangga Menjadi Eco Enzyme Di Lingkungan Perumahan Ujung Residence. Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat UBJ, 6(1), 73–80.

Novita, W., Amaniah, N., Hidayatullah, K., Febriani, A., Maghfirullah, A. I., & Suryadi, S. (2024). Sosialisasi Pengelolaan Sampah Rumah Tangga Menjadi Eco-Enzyme di RW 09 Kesunean. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Indonesia, 4(3), 451–456. https://doi.org/10.52436/1.jpmi.2174

Pathak, D. (2025). Enemies of the hormones: microplastics and endocrine disruptors impacting public health. In Health and Climate Change (pp. 119–150). Elsevier.

Peñate, C. O. (2021). Microplastics in drinking water, food, and everyday products. Environmental Health Association of Québec (ASEQ-EHAQ).

Piazza, M. J., & Urbanetz, A. A. (2019). Environmental toxins and the impact of other endocrine-disrupting chemicals on women’s reproductive health. JBRA Assisted Reproduction, 23(2), 154.

Pironti, C., Ricciardi, M., Motta, O., Miele, Y., Proto, A., & Montano, L. (2021). Microplastics in the Environment: Intake through the Food Web, Human Exposure, and Toxicological Effects. Toxics, 9(9), 224.

Qin, X., Cao, M., Peng, T., Shan, H., Lian, W., Yu, Y., Shui, G., & Li, R. (2024). Features, potential invasion pathways, and reproductive health risks of microplastics detected in the human uterus. Environmental Science & Technology, 58(24), 10482–10493.

Ragusa, A., Svelato, A., Santacroce, C., Catalano, P., Notarstefano, V., Carnevali, O., Papa, F., Rongioletti, M. C. A., Baiocco, F., & Draghi, S. (2021). Plasticenta: First evidence of microplastics in human placenta. Environment International, 146, 106274.

Rahmawati, R., Hayat, N., Ngulqiyah, I., & Rafianti, I. (2023). Pengelolaan dan Pemanfaatan Limbah Rumah Tangga Berbasis Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Madani Dasawisma: Sebuah Studi Kasus di Desa Teluk Kecamatan Labuan Kabupaten Pandeglang, Indonesia. Jurnal Studi Kasus Kegiatan Masyarakat, 1(1), 8–22.

Seifi, Z., Zarei, F., & Ahmadi, F. (2025). The effect of educational intervention based on the mobile application on women’s knowledge, attitude, and practice on microplastics and health: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials, 26(1), 1–15.

Sharma, R., & Kaushik, H. (2021). Microplastics: An Invisible Danger to Human Health. Cgc International Journal Of Contemporary Technology And Research, 3(2), 182–186.

Solleiro‐Villavicencio, H., Gómez‐De León, C. T., Del Río‐Araiza, V. H., & Morales‐Montor, J. (2020). The detrimental effect of microplastics on critical periods of development in the neuroendocrine system. Birth Defects Research, 112(17), 1326–1340.

Tan, H., Kek, H. Y., Van Fan, Y., Sheng, D. D. C. V., Lee, C. H., Tan, K. Y., Rani, M. F. H., & Wong, K. Y. (2024). Systematic Review on Indoor Microplastics: Unveiling Sources, Exposure Pathways, and Human Health Implications. Journal of Advanced Research in Micro and Nano Engineering, 20(1), 96–111.

Wang, M., Wu, Y., Li, G., Xiong, Y., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, M. (2024a). The hidden threat: Unraveling the impact of microplastics on reproductive health. Science of The Total Environment, 173177.

Wang, M., Wu, Y., Li, G., Xiong, Y., Zhang, Y., & Zhang, M. (2024b). The hidden threat: Unraveling the impact of microplastics on reproductive health. Science of The Total Environment, 173177.

Wang, W., Guan, J., Feng, Y., Liu, S., Zhao, Y., Xu, Y., Xu, H., & Fu, F. (2023). Polystyrene microplastics induced ovarian toxicity in juvenile rats associated with oxidative stress and activation of the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP signaling pathway. Toxics, 11(3), 225.

Wang, Z., Zhang, R., Zhang, Y., Xiong, Y., & Zhang, M. (2025). The risk of short-term microplastic exposure on female reproductive function: A rat model study. NanoImpact, 100545.

Ziani, K., Ioniță-Mîndrican, C.-B., Mititelu, M., Neacșu, S. M., Negrei, C., Moroșan, E., Drăgănescu, D., & Preda, O.-T. (2023a). Microplastics: a real global threat to the environment and food safety: a state of the art review. Nutrients, 15(3), 617.

Ziani, K., Ioniță-Mîndrican, C.-B., Mititelu, M., Neacșu, S. M., Negrei, C., Moroșan, E., Drăgănescu, D., & Preda, O.-T. (2023b). Microplastics: a real global threat to the environment and food safety: a state of the art review. Nutrients, 15(3), 617.