Environmental Health Risk Assessment of Hydrogen Sulfide and Ammonia Exposure among Scavengers at Jatibarang Landfill Semarang City

Abstract

The City of Semarang generated the largest volume of waste in Central Java Province, with 72.01% deposited at the Jatibarang Landfill. The waste was predominantly domestic and had the potential to produce H₂S and NH₃ gases, which might pose health risks. This study aimed to assess the health risks associated with exposure to H₂S and NH₃ among waste pickers at the Jatibarang Landfill. An EHRA approach was applied, involving 77 waste pickers selected through simple random sampling from a total population of 250. Ambient air samples were collected at five locations within the landfill based on areas with the highest scavenging activity. The measured concentrations showed that average H₂S levels were 0.001 ppm and NH₃ levels averaged 0.0168 ppm. Mean exposure duration, frequency, length of employment, and body weight were 24 hours/day, 325.71 days/year, 11 years, and 57.05 kg, respectively. The average H₂S exposure intakes for real-time and realtime exposurewere 1.40 × 10⁻⁴ and 3.23 × 10⁻⁴ mg/kg/day, while NH₃ exposure intakes were 1.66 × 10⁻³ and 3.81 × 10⁻³ mg/kg/day. The cumulative risk characterization for real-time exposure indicated that 100% of waste pickers had RQcum ≤ 1, suggesting no immediate health risk. In contrast, the lifetime projection showed that 100% had RQcum > 1, indicating potential long-term health risks. These findings underscore the need for effective risk management strategies to mitigate health hazards from NH₃ and H₂S exposure among waste pickers at the Jatibarang Landfill in Semarang.