KLH Tests Chemical Gas Exposure at Pesticide Warehouse Location in Banten

Officers from the Environmental Pollution and Damage Control (PPKL) team while testing gas exposure at the location of the pesticide storage warehouse in the BSD Techno Park Warehouse Area / Antara / Azmi Samsul M

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Environment (KLH) has deployed a Pollution and Environmental Damage Control (PPKL) team to the location of the Pesticide Storage Warehouse in the BSD Techno Park Warehouse Area, South Tangerang City (Tangsel), Banten.

The Deputy for PPKL of the Ministry of Environment, Rasio Ridho Sani, said that the deployment of this testing team was carried out as a precautionary measure against exposure to toxic gases from pesticides after a fire occurred at the location.

"We have assigned a team that has experience in detecting and recovering chemical materials. That's what we're doing. Now it's being investigated, so we're using some special tools," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, February 13.

He said that in the implementation of testing the gas remaining from this pesticide chemical, it was measured from several categories, including the content of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), carbon monoxide (CO) and ammonia (NH3).

However, based on the temporary test, it can be detected that in the pesticide warehouse, the three gas contents were found. Therefore, as a follow-up handling from his ministry, he will evacuate or transport all the remaining chemicals after the fire occurred.

"As a step for us to take steps to accelerate this handling, including also checking in the warehouse what are the chemicals that we must immediately move. These are the steps we are taking at this time," he said.

He stated that if the results of testing and research on the remaining gas content are high enough at the location of the warehouse owned by PT Biotek Saranatama, then this has the potential to re-pollute the air.

"Yes, we can feel at the location that we breathe the smell of the remaining chemicals. So we want to make sure that the air here is really safe," he said.

He said that if this test was not immediately carried out, it was likely that exposure to gas would spread widely, endangering the people or workers in the BSD Technology Park, South Tangerang, Banten.

Therefore, later it will be necessary to take special steps by restricting access to the public or parties who will be active in locations near the location of exposure to chemical gases.

"We are taking air samples. So if the samples are taken, it will be proven that there are substances or chemicals in the air that are very dangerous," he said.