UNAIR NEWS – In Indonesia, the problem of environmental pollution seems endless, especially the problem of toxic and hazardous waste (B3).ÌýOne way to overcome the pollution of B3 waste is using the concept ofgreen technologyby making B3 waste as raw material of bricks without combustion.ÌýThrough various tests, the bricks from this B3 waste have standard quality, cheap, practical, and environmentally friendly.
It is the research result of three students of Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) , Sri Eka Dewi F. Sukarelawati, Vindi E. Fatikasari, and Wildani Mahmudah.ÌýTheir paper titled “Iron SlagB3WastePotential as a Brick Raw Material usingGreen TechnologyConcept”Ìý,successfully passed the selection and obtained a research grant from Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti) in Student Creativity Program (PKM) 2018 for exacta research (PKMPE) category.
The research of FST UNAIR students was inspired by thelong marchaction of thevillagers of Lakardowo Village, Jetis Subdistrict, Mojokerto Regency who voiced B3 waste pollution by a B3 waste processing company that was reported to the governor of East Java.
According to Sri Eka Dewi FS, the head of the PKMPE UNAIR team, B3 waste is the waste material of production activity which due to its nature, concentration, and quantity, can pollute and damage the environment both directly and indirectly.ÌýIf it is not processed, B3 waste can change the quality of the environment.ÌýThe processing referred to is the process of changing the type, amount, and characteristics of waste to be harmless and non-toxic.
The technology in Sri Eka Dewi and friends™ research is stabilization-solidification, to reduce and eliminate the characteristics of B3 waste to be harmless.ÌýOne of them is processed into a brick without combustion as its combustion also poses environmental problems, namely air pollution due to gascarbon dioxide(CO2) which is not environmentally friendly.
In addition to air pollution, the manufacture of bricks without combustion can reduce the cost of manufacture. It is not dependent on weather but it produces products with standard quality, cheap, practical and environmentally friendly.
Using the concept ofgreen technologywithout combustion, the production uses lime, cement, andsoil hardener powder.ÌýThey for brick compaction and speed up the drying time.
Sri Eka Dewi explained, this research is an innovation from some previous research that treats iron slagB3 wasteinto brick.ÌýIn addition, iron slagB3is processedinto a red brick because it is easier to manufacture than other types of bricks.ÌýIn addition toiron slag,papersludgematerialis also used as an adhesive in the production of this brick.
“We have tested the quality through a series of tests, such as external test, size and tolerance test, compressive strength test, harmful salt test, pseudo density test, water absorption test, and TCLP test with variation of material used is a mixture ofiron slag,papersludgeand compactor, “said Sri Eka Dewi, student of class 2014.
Based on this research, three best variation were developed with value of Zn dangerous heavy metal content.ÌýAfter the stabilization-solidification process, its value is under the quality standard based on the provisions of PP Number 101 of 2014.
“So it proves that the results of our PKM-PE research is safe to be utilized internally by waste generating parties and waste management parties as a solution to reduce waste accumulation inlandfills,” Sri said proudly as she ended her explanation.Ìý(*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
