Safe Concentration of Benzene Exposure to Worker’s in Gas Station at the Area of Diponegoro University, Semarang

Abstract

Benzene is one of the aromatic hydrocarbon compounds that are widely used in the industrial sector. Benzene exposure in the work environment has been set a threshold value. Benzene exposure in humans can provide health effects especially disrupting the central nervous system, hematopoietic system, and immune system. Acute effects can include laryngeal irritation, dizziness, pallor, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, drowsiness, and fainting. While the chronic effects can be cancer. This research is a study with an environmental health risk analysis approach with the aim to assess and make predictions that will occur due to exposure to benzene in public fuel station (SPBU) officers around the area of Diponegoro University, Semarang. The Environmental Health Risk Analysis (ARKL) approach consists of several steps, namely hazard identification, response dose analysis, exposure analysis, and risk characteristics. The results of the measurement of benzene concentrations in gas stations around the Diponegoro University in Semarang at point 1 were 0.38 ppm and at point 2 was 0.51 ppm. So that the concentration is still below the Threshold Value (NAB) according to the Minister of Manpower Regulation Number 5 of 2018. Based on manual calculations for safe limits benzene concentration is obtained 0.08538 mg / m3 or 0.02672 ppm. This means that the highest concentration of benzene in the work environment is 0.51 ppm, with an average body weight of 55.67 kg, height of 159 cm with a working time of 8 hours, and safe concentration so as not to cause a non-carcinogenic risk is 0.08538 mg / m3 or 0.02672 ppm.