C. Java noodle makers use toxic bleaching substances<\/p>\n
By Prabandari<\/p>\n
KLATEN, Central Java (JP): Manjung village, about 30
\nkilometers east of Yogyakarta, has long been famous as a producer
\nof high quality white noodles, locally called soun.<\/p>\n
The business has always been a lucrative, providing employment
\nto many locals. But environmentalists warn that the toxic
\nbyproducts from the business is polluting the environment.<\/p>\n
Joko Prasetyo, an environmental expert, says that the use of
\nbleaching agents in the production process pose dangers for the
\nlong run. Untreated waste from the bleaching process can result
\nin byproducts such as chlorine and dioxin.<\/p>\n
He proposes that research be conducted to learn the level of
\nthese byproducts and the menace they cause.<\/p>\n
According to Bambang Prayitno, a biologist, the maximum
\nallowable level of chlorine in sewage water is 3 mg\/liter.
\nChlorine pollutants are more dangerous if mixed with other toxic
\nproducts such as pesticide residue, he says.<\/p>\n
J.K. Fawell and S. Hunt in their book Environmental Toxicology
\nOrganic Pollutants say that chlorine can cause cancer.<\/p>\n
Agus, the owner of Bintang Tiga, a white noodle factory, said
\nthat his factory can produce 400 kg of noodles a day. He uses
\ncalcium hypochlorite as the bleaching agent. He mixes about 500
\ngrams of the agent with 100 kg of flour.<\/p>\n
\"Before the economic crisis (began in 1997), calcium
\nhypochlorite was cheap, so I mixed 1 kg of it for every 100 kg of
\nflour. But when the rupiah continued depreciating against the
\ndollar, prices soared and I reduced the proportions,\" Agus said.<\/p>\n
In Manjung there are more than 50 white noodle producers like
\nAgus. The average production of a factory is 400 kg to 600 kg a
\nday. If one factory needs 2 kg to 3 kg of Calcium hypochlorite
\nper day, then they use 100 kg to 150 kg of the toxic substance a
\nday.<\/p>\n
Although almost all the white noodle producers in Manjung use
\ncalcium hypochlorite, there is no waste water treatment plant
\nthere. They dump the waste into the sewer which runs into the
\nriver. During the rainy season, the sewage system often
\noverflows, inundating the Manjung village.<\/p>\n
Only a few noodle makers in the village use mechanical
\nequipment. In the traditional factory, workers stir the mixture
\nof flour, water and calcium hypochlorite with their feet. They do
\nnot realize their health is at risk. They look happy at work,
\nsinging along to music blaring from the radio.<\/p>\n
There are two grades of white noodles made in Manjung Village.
\nThe first grade is whiter and more expensive. The lower grade
\nnoodle has lower chlorine content.<\/p>\n
\"People in big cities like to buy the first grade because it
\nlooks better and is tastier than the second grade. We usually
\nsell the first grade to East Java, because they consume huge
\namounts of white noodles to make soto soup,\" Agus said.<\/p>\n
Local people prefer the less expensive grade of white noodle.
\nSale of white noodles in major holiday seasons, such as Lebaran
\nand Nyadran, usually raises threefold. Nyadran is a Javanese
\ntraditional thanksgiving day celebrated after the paddy harvest
\nseason.<\/p>\n
On Nyadran, a great number of migrants from across Indonesia
\nreturn to their home village in Klaten. They will pay homage to
\ntheir ancestors by visiting and cleaning the tombs. On this day,
\ntraditional foods are served and white noodles as a main dish.<\/p>\n
It's cooked with vegetables such as carrots and greenpeas.
\nLocals use the lower grade white noodle mainly because it's
\ncheaper than the first grade.<\/p>",
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