JAKARTA - The East Java Consumer Protection Foundation (YLPK Jatim) has conducted research related to the use of house building materials made of white asbestos (chrystolile). As a result, there are no complaints from white asbestos users who experience shortness of breath due to exposure or influence from the material.
In fact, 100 percent of houses using white asbestos in this study reported no cases of shortness of breath among their residents.
This research was carried out in 31 sub-districts in Surabaya City, East Java, with samples taken from 17 sub-districts and 18 sub-districts spread throughout the hero city. Several sub-districts that became research locations include Kenjeran District, Bulak Banteng District, Semampir District, Simokerto District, Gubeng District, Tambaksari District, Mulyorejo District, Genteng District, Bubutan District, Asem Rowo District, Sukolilo District, Tegalsari District, Sawahan District, Sukomanunggal District, Wiyung District, Wonokromo District, and Karang Pilang District. This research was carried out on December 7-8, 2024.
The East Java YLPK research team was led by Team Chairman Muhammad Said Sutomo, together with Mukharrom Hadi Kusumo and Dimas Nur Kholbi. The purpose of this research is to provide correct, clear, and honest information to consumers who use white asbestos products in the city of Surabaya.
This research also aims to straighten out information circulating regarding issues that state that white asbestos products can cause asbestosis.
"Hopefully, consumers who use building materials from white asbestos have the right to get correct, clear, and honest information, in accordance with consumer rights as regulated in Article 4 letter c of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection," explained the Chairman of the East Java YLPK, Said Sutomo, Saturday, December 14.
YLPK East Java took 100 respondents, consisting of 100 consumers who owned houses using white asbestos materials, starting from the use of white asbestos materials, which were 20 years old to 75 years old, consisting of 51% male gender, and 49% female gender.
As a result, 54% of respondents occupied houses over 30 years of white asbestos roofs without experiencing shortness of breath or having asbestosis, and lived for 20-30 years by occupying 26% of white asbestos roofs. Meanwhile, those who live under 20 were 20% of respondents.
"All consumers of home building users made from white asbestos roofs, Alhamdulillah, are in good health until now," explained the East Java YLPK researcher.
Therefore, the need for the consumer community of the City of Surabaya for Fiber Cement products made from white asbestos is still high, because they still feel safe and comfortable. A total of 97% of respondents.
The reason is why asbestos products are still the choice of the community because they are strongly responsible for 81% of respondents, and reason lightly as much as 81%. In addition, they reasoned because they were easy to find as many as 76% of respondents, and for reasons because the price was cheap and affordable as many as 59% of respondents. ," he said.
The results of this study in Surabaya strengthened the results of research in Jakarta conducted by the Center for Assessment and Application of Work Safety and Health (PKTK3) of the Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia in 2019. In the study, it was revealed that the results of measurements of asbestos levels in the air in residential areas and asbes company areas showed results below the Ambang Limit Value (NAB) of the 0.1 f/cc provision value, the study was carried out in Karet Tengsin Village, Tanah Abang District, Central Jakarta, Special Capital Region, Jakarta in 2019.
A research team from the University of Indonesia named Doni Hikmat Ramdhan SKM, MKK, Ph.D, and friends showed the results of measurements of asbestos levels in the air in residential areas below 0.1 f/cc, which was between 0.001 f/cc to 0.033 f/cc, while in asbestos companies it was 0.001 to the largest 0.053 so it did not touch the 0.1 f/cc NAB figure.
So the exposure of white asbestos fiber (chrysotile) to the air in the residential area of Karet Tengsin and air in 4 (four) asbestos companies is not dangerous because it is below NAB 0.1 f/cc.
To further convince the Indonesian consumers who use the Fiber Cement product made from white asbestos, in the near future the East Java YLPK will conduct an experiment by destroying the Fiber Cement product made from white asbestos in a closed room. Then the East Java YLPK tested the air in the closed room whether the air was contaminated by white asbestos or not.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)