Is It True Or Not That The Seawater In Jakarta Bay 'tastes' Paracetamol, Wait 2 More Weeks

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Environment Agency (DLH) is still testing seawater samples in Ancol and Muara Angke, North Jakarta. They want to confirm the results of research on the content of high concentrations of paracetamol in the area.

"We are committed to exploring and tracing the source of the pollution and taking steps to stop the pollution," said Acting Head of DKI Jakarta DLH, Syaripudin in Jakarta, Sunday, October 3.

DKI Jakarta DLH officers took seawater samples on Saturday, October 2, to be tested with results that can be known in about 14 days.

The examination, he said, is to ascertain whether the pollution is still ongoing, because the sampling in the research was conducted in 2017-2018.

Quoted from Antara, his party seeks to identify the source of the pollution so that steps will be taken to stop the pollution.

DLH DKI Jakarta conducts routine monitoring of sea water quality at least once every six months.

Monitoring is carried out based on 38 parameters whose quality standards are regulated in Government Regulation (PP) 22 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of Environmental Protection and Management.

However, he continued, paracetamol contaminant parameters were not specifically regulated in the PP.

It is known, the results of the research on the paraswtamol content carried out revealed that Angke had a high concentration of Paracetamol, which was 610 ng/L, and Ancol was 420 ng/L.

In this study, this is the first study to analyze the picture of sea water quality related to paracetamol contamination in coastal waters around Indonesia. However, scientists say this preliminary overview study still requires further analysis.

"Given the consideration of drugs as emerging contaminants, these data suggest that further investigation is needed," said the researchers, consisting of Wulan Koagouw, Zainal Arifin, George WJ Olivier, and Corina Ciocan.