Analysis of Ambient Air Mercury Levels in the Mercury Laboratory and Metrology Centre for Environmental Quality Instrumentation Standardization

Abstract

Today the use of heavy metals can be found in almost all aspects of life. However, the use of heavy metals causes a process of bioaccumulation of toxins from heavy metals into the body. One type of heavy metal that is very toxic is Mercury (Hg). According to the list of hazardous substances published by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), mercury occupies the third position among 275 substances harmful to human health. The mercury and metrology laboratory is a laboratory that functions to test mercury levels in both water, soil and air matrix samples. In carrying out a test or measurement of Mercury levels, employees at the Mercury and Metrology Laboratory of Centre for Environmental Quality Instrumentation Standardization (PSIKLH) always use Mercury in the process, so there is a possibility that the air in the Mercury and Metrology laboratory of PSIKLH is contaminated with Mercury because of the activities in it. That is the reason of researchers to test mercury levels in the ambient air around the Mercury laboratory and Metrology PSIKLH. This study aims to determine the level of mercury in the ambient air around the mercury and metrology laboratory of PSIKLH. The method used in this study is a quantitative analysis method using the Mercury Analyzer WA-5F from Nippon Instruments Corporation (NIC) which includes curve making, sampling, and measuring mercury levels in the sample. This research was conducted at the Mercury and Metrology Laboratory of PSIKLH. Based on research that was conduct, it shows that the highest concentration of mercury in the ambient air around the PSIKLH Mercury and Metrology Laboratory is found in the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) room, the sampling equipment room, and the Hg tool room. Mercury levels contained in the three rooms were more than 0.01 mg/m3. However, mercury levels in the Mercury and Metrology Laboratory are still classified as normal because they have not passed the threshold of 0.05 mg/m3.