EARTH DAY for GLOBALWARMING

Indonesia - Analysis of use of nuclear technology has been used extensively for environmental maintenance in Yogyakarta. These include utilization of proper test and the level of water pollution.

Field Researcher of Chemistry and Materials Process Technology National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan) Taftazani Agus said nuclear technology had been used to test for heavy metal pollution levels in some rivers in Yogyakarta, in between the River and River Elephant Code Wong. Nuclear technology is used in the study is nuclear engineering neutron activation analysis (AAN).

"We also tested the level of contamination of other small rivers flow to accommodate the waste leather and rubber industry with the same analysis technique," he said on the sidelines of the National Seminar and Workshop on Neutron Activation Analysis, held Batan and Forum AAN Indonesia (FAANI) in Yogyakarta, Tuesday (20/10).

Agus said, AAN nuclear techniques are also used in testing the feasibility of utilization of underground water in Gunung Kidul District, including the project on groundwater use in Bribin, Semanu District, Gunung Kidul. Test feasibility of nuclear technology has also been done on the underground rivers and groundwater Ngobaran in Wonosari, Gunung Kidul.

"With the RR technique, the research team succeeded in evaluating the mineral elements of Fe, Cd, Ca, Mn, and Mg with high accuracy. The results of testing showed groundwater in Gunung Kidul has a very good quality," said Agus who is also Coordinator of the Project Research Team Bribin from Batan it.

Besides in Yogyakarta, said Agus, his department has to use nuclear techniques to test the AAN levels of heavy metals on the Muria Peninsula coast, Central Java. The results further river pollution levels assigned to local government through the Environmental Impact Management Agency local area.

The results are expected to be used as a reference to determine the relevant policy measures and environmental preservation. AAN nuclear technology can also be used to check the level of pollution in the air and in the human body.

Head of Jewish Batan Hastowo said, AAN is one part of the analytical techniques of nuclear technology. AAN research in Indonesia has started since Batan stand, which is about 1960. Currently, the number of researchers who joined in AAN FAANI reached 83 people.

However, the Jews said, so far the use of AAN in Indonesia is still lagging behind developed countries. "In Europe, the AAN has been widely used in industry, namely to test consumer protection-related material," he said.

According to Jewish, this AAN technique becomes increasingly important because of the level of a very high accuracy, ie to order nanograms. AAN potential utilization of techniques to be developed in various fields, including in cases of timber theft to terrorism investigations.