Apparently, The Research Sample Of Jakarta Bay Seawater Containing Paracetamol Was Taken In 2017

Sampling of seawater (Photo: DOK DKI Environmental Service/Diah Ayu)

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Environment Agency is still following up on the results of research which states that seawater in Jakarta Bay contains paracetamol.

This follow-up is done by taking re-samples for research. Because the Department of Environment wants to ascertain whether the seawater is still polluted. Bearing in mind, the research sample on the content of paracetamol was carried out in 2017.

"Seawater sampling locations were carried out in Ancol, and Muara Angke. This is to ascertain whether the pollution is still ongoing because the sampling in this research was carried out in 2017-2018," wrote the statement from the Department of Environment in the official Instagram account, quoted by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Monday, October 4.

Public Relations of the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency, Yogi Ikhwan, said that his party does monitor the quality of seawater regularly 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, paracetamol type contaminant parameters are not specifically regulated in the PP.

"We don't examine these parameters. We monitor the quality of seawater with general content, such as BOD (biological oxygen demand) levels, and heavy metal levels. For paracetamol specific parameters, we don't go there specifically," said Yogi.

As reported by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researchers that theoretically the source of the remaining paracetamol in the waters of Jakarta Bay can come from three sources, namely, excretion due to excessive public consumption, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry.

The high population in the Jabodetabek area and the types of drugs that are sold over the counter without a doctor's prescription have the potential as a source of contaminants in the waters.

Meanwhile, potential sources from hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry can be caused by a wastewater management system that does not function optimally, so that residual drug use or drug manufacturing waste enters rivers and eventually into coastal waters.

Previously, a study stated that seawater in Jakarta Bay contains paracetamol. This study of water pollution on the coast of the capital city was published in a sciencedirect.com bulletin in August 2021.

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

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