Environmental health risk assessment of sulfur dioxide (SO2) at workers around in combined cycle power plant (CCPP)

Abstract

State electricity company is an Indonesian government-owned corporation with a monopoly on Indonesia's electricity distribution. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution is produced by burning fossil fuels with coal and oil-fired power plants. At the combined cycle power plant (CCPP), the state electricity company has the largest role in SO2 production. In addition, SO2 can cause respiratory tract dysfunction, decreased lung function, eye irritation, throat irritation, and coughing at certain concentrations. This study aims to assess the magnitude of SO2 exposure to workers health at CCPP Indralaya unit, Indonesia. The research is a quantitative study using the environmental health risk assessment (EHRA) method. Purposive sampling was used to obtain 32 respondents. The results revealed that the average SO2 concentration was 0.085 mg/m3. The non-carcinogenic intake was 0.0025 mg/kg/day for real-time exposure and 0.0069 mg/kg/day for lifetime exposure. The Risk Quotient (RQ) for real-time exposure obtained is 0.0959, and RQ for lifetime exposure is 0.2668, indicating an RQ = 1. The study concluded that the CCPP Indralaya unit is not at-risk cause non-carcinogenic due to SO2 exposure. Regardless, precautions must ensure that workers' exposure to SO2 or other emissions gases produced by CCPP activities does not endanger their health.