NOAEL Benzene in White Mice as the Basis for Determining the Safe Limit of Benzene Concentration in the Pulogadung Shoe Industry Home in Jakarta

Abstract

The shoe industry in its operational activities is very dependent on the quality of the material, one of which is glue containing benzene, the industrial workers have a risk of exposure to benzene. The purpose of this study was to determine the safe concentration of benzene in the leather shoe industry in the small industrial village of Pulogadung, Jakarta. This research is descriptive research. The population in this study were shoe workers who worked on the installation of solee 1 and solee 2, which amounted to 16 people. The results of the study were quantitatively analyzed to determine the safe concentration of benzene for workers obtained from data on benzene concentrations in the workplace, worker height, worker weight, rats’ weight, worker respiration rate, length of work, worker body surface area, surface area mice body, highest dose of toxin without effect on experimental animals (NOAEL), Km factor in animals (Animal Km), factor Km in workers (Human Km), and safe limit for toxin dose for workers (RfC). The measurement results of the concentration of benzene in the sole 1 section were 0.19 ppm and in the sole 2 part was 0.06 ppm, which means that the concentration of benzene is still below the Threshold Value according to Minister of Manpower Regulation Number 13 of 2011 at 0.5 ppm. Based on the calculations that have been done, the safe limit value is 0.021 ppm. Based on the minimum risk level (MRL), the concentration of benzene every day that can cause acute effects is 0.009 ppm and that can cause chronic effects is 0.003 ppm. From these standards, it can be seen that the concentration of benzene in the leather shoe industry has the potential to have an impact on the health of workers. Control measures are needed to see potential health problems that workers can experience because of the benzene. Recommendations to the leather shoe industry are to periodically monitor benzene levels in the air, conduct health checks on workers, and use personal protective equipment on workers such as masks to reduce levels of inhaled benzene into workers’ bodies