Campaign For Global Free Indonesia, Coordinating Ministry For Maritime Affairs Encourages The Use Of Substitute Materials

Assistant Deputy (Asdep) for Waste Management and Waste at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Rofi Alhanif. (Photo: Doc. Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries)

JAKARTA - The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Kemenko Marves) is aggressively campaigning for the dangers of lead and is committed to starting to reduce the use of lead on the industry so as not to have a negative impact on the community.

Assistant Deputy (Asdep) for Waste Management and Waste at the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Rofi Alhanif, said that until now the presence of lead in various industries cannot be 100 percent removed even though there have been many alternative replacements but cannot be accessed by all industries.

"We hope that the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) can develop technology that can replace lead in the industrial world so that the impact of lead is minimized," he said at the Middle Free Indonesia National Seminar Towards a Greener Future: Getting to Know and Support Non-Governmental Products for Environmental Sustainability and Health, Friday, October 20.

He explained that data from Unicef shows that more than 8 million children in Indonesia have lead levels in the blood above 5 micrograms per deciliter (dL), and this exposure can have a negative impact on the health of children, for the community and can even have a fatal impact on the human body.

The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries also appreciates industries that have tried to leave lead in their production process for the sake of bearing on human life.

Regarding lead replacement raw materials, the Head of the Metal Industry Working Group of the Directorate General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment and Electronics Industries of the Ministry of Industry Ginanjar Mardhikatama explained that the material had been produced domestically.

"The raw material for the lead replacement has been produced domestically, especially PT Timah Industri (TI) which has been able to produce a tin stabilizer, but due to the low absorption from domestic industries, the majority of its products are exported," he said.

The Ministry of Industry also encourages cooperation between the PVC pipeline industry (PolyVinyl Chloride) as a Tin stabilizer user with PT Timah Industri as a tin stabilizer producer.

"Both mutual benefits, so PT Timah does not need to export and domestic needs are met without the need to import the stabilizer itself," said Ginanjar.

According to data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), from 2022 to 2023 Indonesia imported 41,016 tons of lead from South Korea, Myammar, and Australia.

"The highest use of lead is used in the battery industry at 86 percent, the second can also be used for coating cables, then there is also ammunition, paint industry pigment because it is usually used for other industrial pigmentation," said Head of KLHK B3 Determination Sub-Directorate Yunik Kuncarating.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry is currently revising Government Regulation (PP) Number 74 of 2001 concerning Management of Hazardous and Toxic Materials, to include lead as Hazardous and Toxic Materials (B3) from category to limited use.

"We are currently making a revision with the Ministry of Industry to try to increase the lead category which was previously a B3 that can be used, to become a limited category used," Yunik explained.

In addition, the formation of a working team consisting of stakeholders to start serious about dealing with lead.

"We plan to form a working team consisting of relevant stakeholders, so that this lead becomes our common concern. So that we can work together so that we can avoid this lead so that it does not have an impact on the environment," he said.

Regarding the dangers of lead, the Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) said, lead one heavy metal and the same as cyanide.

"Just like cyanide. Cyanide is very quick to have an effect, this lead has a slow but definite and deadly effect too. This slowness is painful because the effect is extraordinary," said IDI Secretary dr. Ulul Albab.

Ulul explained that lead can stick to several substances that humans do not realize enter through the air, water, and food consumed.

"Institute for health metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said that in 2013 there were around 853,000 deaths caused by the effects of long-term lead exposure and the highest number in developing countries," explained dr. Ulul.

He added that the impact of lead was not direct, but real in the future.

Heart disease can also arise due to lead exposure effects, digestive disorders such as poisoning are also lead effects.

Then, a very rare anemia also attacks pregnant women by attacking the blood clots until they are destroyed. liver, kidney, and mental disorders can also be caused by lead.

"Timbal it stays in the body for up to 25 years," he explained.

According to him, the dangers of lead are very scary for humans to exceed stunting.

Therefore, IDI issued recommendations for preventing lead on workers and the Indonesian people.

"We, through the Indonesian Okupansi Medical Specialist Association (Perdoki) do not only examine patients, tappi provides recommendations to the industry for lead levels," explained dr. Ulul.

The most important recommendation issued by IDI is to stop and replace lead. The government has also campaigned for the Free Indonesia Campaign.

"We have to dare to campaign for a lead-free Indonesia, why do I use 2045 because lead can be in a 25-year human body, but starting not in 2045 but must be now, otherwise we will be free of leads," concluded Ulul.