Indonesia 'lags behind' in curbing lead use<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): While many countries had successfully ended the
\nuse of lead in gasoline, Indonesia was still home to a large
\namount of the hazardous substance, an environmental observer said
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Washington D.C.-based director of international programs at
\nthe Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning (AECLP) James Rochow
\nreferred to a world map reflecting leaded gasoline sales at the
\nbeginning of this year.<\/p>\n
The map showed some regions where the use of leaded gasoline
\nwas still abundant, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesia is the most conspicuous example of a country that
\nhas not yet put itself on the verge of phasing out leaded
\ngasoline,\" he said in a Worldnet dialog via satellite to
\ncommemorate Earth Day, which falls on April 22.<\/p>\n
Among the participants in the forum, which discussed air
\npollution-related issues, were representatives from non-
\ngovernmental organizations (NGOs) and officials from Thailand,
\nthe Philippines, Indonesia and the United States.<\/p>\n
Project officer of Clean Air Project Indonesia, under the NGO
\nSwisscontact, Dollaris Riauaty said the government lacked the
\npolitical will to phase out leaded gasoline and failed to make it
\na priority.<\/p>\n
Lead is used to increase the octane number of gasoline to
\nlower its burning point and make it easier to burn. Each U.S.
\ngallon of gasoline in Indonesia contains one cc of lead. That
\nequals 0.3 grams of lead in every liter of gasoline.<\/p>\n
Lead poisoning may cause upper respiratory tract infections,
\nincrease blood pressure, cause heart attacks and damage kidneys.
\nRecent research conducted by Swisscontact reveals that lead
\npoisoning decreases sperm quality and quantity.<\/p>\n
Low levels of exposure in children can produce permanent
\ndamage to the nervous system, including a reduction in
\nintelligence and attention spans, reading and learning
\ndisabilities and behavioral problems.<\/p>\n
Despite the many campaigns of NGOs to end the use of leaded
\ngasoline, the government has delayed its own deadline for state
\noil company Pertamina to stop producing leaded gasoline from last
\nDecember to 2003.<\/p>\n
Director for Air Pollution Control at the Environmental Impact
\nManagement Agency (Bapedal) told reporters that while the
\ngovernment was fully committed to phasing out leaded gasoline, it
\nfaced financial problems.<\/p>\n
AECLP revealed on their website that countries which had
\nalready phased out leaded gasoline had demonstrated that it was
\npracticable, cost-effective and could be done quickly, in both
\ndeveloped and developing countries.<\/p>\n
The compound tetra ethyl lead (TEL) and tetra methyl lead
\n(TML) used in gasoline can be substituted with other additives,
\nsuch as the lead-free High Octane Mogas Component (HOMC).<\/p>\n
To end the country's dependence on imports of HOMC, a
\nPertamina spokesman said in February that the company needed
\nforeign loans to build a catalytic reformer unit to produce the
\nadditive.<\/p>\n
Dollaris said she suspected the government was not serious in
\ncoping with the matter and was only under pressure from
\ninternational organizations, particularly the International
\nMonetary Fund (IMF).<\/p>\n
Clean energy conversion, including unleaded gasoline, was
\namong the several points in the 1998 letter of intent between the
\nIndonesian government and the IMF.<\/p>\n
\"We are still not sure whether the government is bound to this
\ncommitment because so far no action plan has been put on the
\ntable,\" Dollaris said. (08)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-lags-behind-in-curbing-lead-use-1447893297",
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