CARMIDI, 42, has already heard the news about acetaminophen, or paracetamol, concentrations in the estuary waters of the Jakarta Bay, but he was not aware of its problems. This resident of Muara Angke, North Jakarta, who manages fishermen’s boats and sells fish, admitted that the problem of medicinal pollution has not reached his community.

“Our understanding is that it’s merely waste,” said Carmidi, who goes by the nickname Iwan. “If