Assessment of Environmental Health Risks Associated with Chemical Content of Drinking Water for Workers in the Copper and Gold Mineral Ore Processing Industry

Abstract

Drinking water is a necessity for all living organisms and should be of good quality and free from hazardous contaminants. Chemical agents such as nitrate, nitrite, selenium, chromium, cadmium, manganese, cyanide, and fluoride can contaminate drinking water. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the health risks associated with these chemical agents and their potentially harmful effects on workers. The Environmental Health Risk Analysis (EHRA) method was used to evaluate the chemical agents present in the Concentrating Division area of PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI). It was discovered that the average concentration values of all chemical agents were below the Environmental Health Quality Standards (EHQS) established in the Minister of Health Regulation Number 2 of 2023. The risk quotient (RQ) results, obtained through the division of intake and reference dose (RfD), were less than 1 (RQ<1), indicating that chemicals constituting the drinking water found in the Concentrating Division area did not pose health risks to workers. Risk management and communication efforts in the area are unnecessary because the detected chemical agents are considered safe. However, daily supervision of potentially hazardous chemical agents is still necessary.