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The use of synthetic pesticides in tropical countries has increased over the years, following the intensification of agriculture. However, awareness among farmers of the importance of protecting themselves from hazards associated with pesticide application is still lacking, especially in Indonesia. This paper reports results of an inventory on knowledge and attitudes regarding pesticide use by melon farmers of a village in Central Java, Indonesia. The importance of using personal protective equipment such as hats, masks, goggles, boots, and gloves on agricultural land is known and well understood by the farmers. However, in practice, only 3.8 % were wearing glasses and 1.9 % were using boots. In fact, the masks used only consisted of a part of their shirt tied around the mouth. The farmers were not wearing long pants and shirts with long sleeves and used the same clothes for more than 1 day without washing. Almost no farmers used personal protective equipment that was standard, in good condition, and complete. Based on the results of statistical analysis, no significant relationship was found between knowledge and attitude on the required practices on the one hand and the use of personal protective equipment in practice on the other hand. This shows that improved knowledge and attitudes are not enough to change the behavior of farmers to work in a healthy and safe way. The gap between knowledge and practice needs to be bridged by a more interactive and participatory training model. It is therefore of paramount importance to develop a special toolkit for pesticide risk reduction which is developed in a participatory manner involving the farmers as the main actors through a series of focus group discussions and field simulations.

Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly and low cost potential strategy for cleaning up of heavy metals from contaminated soils. Selection of promising plant is an important approach for successful phytoremediation. In this study the role of Cordyline fruicosa (L ) plants as a potential phytoremediator to soils contaminated with lead (Pb) was investigated. Pot culture experiments using Cordyline fruicosa (L ) with different level of lead 250, 500 and 750 mg Pb kg-1 soil. The growth parameter biomass root and leaf, Pb accumulation in plant and photosynthetic pigment content were measured after 40 days. The results showed that the increase lead concentrations caused a reduction in most growth parameter and photosynthetic pigment content. On the other hand the lead accumulation in root and leaf was increased by increasing lead concentrations.

The Indonesian batik is a cultural product recognized as Intangible World Heritage by UNESCO. However, its production by small and medium enterprises has been raising environmental problems, including water pollution. Since water is vital for humans and batik production, deterioration of its quality affects the people, ecosystem, and batik sustainability. The water scarcity and the emerging concept of circular economy show that a regenerative system that focuses on resource efficiency is essential to replace the current linear production system. A previous study was conducted to examine the role of water in batik production. However, a complete picture on the water use in batik production is required as it will imply to water sustainability, from the experts’ perspectives. Therefore, this study identified the factors influencing water use for batik production based on perspective of the experts in combination to craftsmen’s experience using a qualitative Delphi method with seven experts on batik and water technology. The result indicates identified challenges that influence the water use for batik production, and four aspects that need to be addressed in order to realize water friendly batik production. Finally, three key factors of actor, system, and technology were concluded if the circularity of water use in batik SMEs will be realized.

Background/Aims: Microplastic contamination in marine environment and seafood has raised global concern on the human health impact. The possibility of microplastic ingested by human is very likely to occur via consumption of seafood that is eaten whole, such as shellfish. However, the risks of microplastic on human health are still under investigation. The aims of this study was to assess shellfish consumption of Semarang inhabitants and to determine their microplastic intake via shellfish consumption. Methods: Multistage random sampling method was used to determine the respondents from districts until neighborhood level. In total there were 500 respondents invited to participate in this study. The respondents were classified based on four age groups, i.e. children (0–9 years), adolescent (10–19 years), adults (20–59 years), and elderly people (60->75 years). The daily intake of shellfish of Semarang inhabitants was obtained from FFQ and recall diet. The concentrations of microplastics were obtained from a microscopic technique following a series of alkaline digestion and filtration. To estimate the microplastic intake, the daily intake of shellfish was multiplied by the average concentration of microplastics found in shellfish collected from Semarang.

The Indonesian batik is a potential product to support the economy of Indonesia. In spite of its potential in supporting the economy of Indonesia, the water pollution caused by batik production by Small & Mediuam Enterprises (SMEs) needs to be addressed, as it leads to water scarcity since the batik production tends to consume a huge quantity of water. This research was conducted to identify key factors that influence water use for batik production among batik craftsmen, and explain those factors using the concept of circular economy. This study was conducted using qualitative method through focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview as data collection strategies and quantitative data collected as secondary data. Our study found that some practices of the batik craftsmen have shown to fit to the circular cycle, although the dischargement of wastewater into waterways still fits to the linear model. Using secondary data, the direct water use for batik production were varies from 3.33 L/pc to 235 L/pc, depending on the craftsmen. If water footprint approach is to be used, the water use will be much higher. Finally, four key factors affecting the water use are discussed in this study and efforts that can be proposed to reduce the ratio water/product as well as maintaining water as a resource, as indicated by circular economy.

Packaging plays essential roles in product management, brand identity, and consumer protection. However, it is often conflicting with environmental sustainability issues. Plastic packaging is considered responsible for plastic waste leakage into the environment because it is not designed for recycling (D4R). This research explores D4R criteria for prioritised plastic packaging; developed by involving plastic producers, product manufacturers, consumers, waste collectors, waste recyclers, and relevant governmental ministries. Through Delphi method and stakeholder consultation, the stakeholders negotiate the D4R criteria to protect their interests. The D4R criteria are prioritised for three plastic packaging: (i) HDPE/ LDPE containers for personal and home care products; (ii) PET bottles for mineral water; and (iii) PP cups for food and beverage products. The criteria of eleven packaging components have been developed for each prioritised plastic packaging. Stakeholders mostly agree to the criteria, except for the size or volume of containers criterion. The product manufacturers tend to keep the container size small for reaching a wider market segment, while the waste collectors and recyclers insist on increasing the size to make it easy for collection. Moreover, additional standards and references are needed to define the D4R criteria for the ink, additive, barrier, and adhesive for non-food products.

We present estimates for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) sewage inputs to 19 Indonesian rivers for 1970–2050. Future trends are based on the four scenarios of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Our results indicate a rapid increase in N and P pollution from sewage over time. In 1970, N and P inputs to rivers were low because not many households were connected to sewage systems discharging to rivers. Sewage connection is increasing over time. As a result, N and P inputs to rivers increase. We calculate that between 2000 and 2050 the N and P inputs increase with a factor of 17–40, depending on the scenario. Important determinants of future N and P sewage inputs are population, economic growth, urbanization, sewage systems development and wastewater treatment. Our calculations are based on an improved model for N and P inputs to rivers, indicating that previous estimates underestimated these inputs considerably.

Fermentation can reduce the concentration of health-promoting glucosinolates in Brassica vegetables. The endogenous enzyme myrosinase is hypothesised to mainly responsible for the degradation of glucosinolates during fermentation. In order to retain glucosinolates in the final fermented product, the role of myrosinase activity during the production of sayur asin was investigated. Sayur asin is a traditionally fermented product of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) commonly consumed in Indonesia. It is prepared by a spontaneous fermentation of withered (sun-dried) B. juncea leaves. The leaves of B. juncea contain a substantial amount of the aliphatic glucosinolate sinigrin. Three withering methods were investigated to obtain B. juncea leaves with different myrosinase activities prior to fermentation. Results show that withering by oven at 35 °C for 2.5 h and by microwave at 180 W for 4.5 min reduced myrosinase activity by 84 and 74 %, respectively. Subsequently, sinigrin was not detectable in the leaves after 24 h of incubation in the fermentation medium. However, withering by microwave for 2 min at 900 W inactivated myrosinase completely and produced sayur asin with a sinigrin concentration of 11.4 µmol/10 g dry matter after 7 days of fermentation. This high power-short time pretreatment of B. juncea leaves contributes to the production of sayur asin containing significant levels of health-promoting glucosinolate. In this study, the effect of myrosinase activity during Brassica fermentation was quantified, and optimised production methods were investigated to retain glucosinolate in the final product.

The environmental dreadful condition in the coastal area of Semarang is caused by an abrasion and mangrove ecosystem damage. Environmental degradation will affect the aquaculture ponds in coastal areas, which can also influence the quality of milkfish (Chanos chanos) reared in ponds. The purpose of this study is to determine Cu concentration in water and sediments on milkfish ponds and also distinguish the pattern of Cu accumulation in fish during their growth period. The samples used in this study were Cu in water, sediment and milkfish collected during 3 months research period. This study was an ecological approach. Data of Cu bioaccumulation in sediment, water and fish were analyzed based on the concentration factor (CF) formula and concentration ratio (CR). Research results show that the Cu content in water was between 0.2-0.3 mg L-1 and in sediment was between 18.09 to 22.81 mg L-1. According to this result, water Cu content was above the threshold. Based on the rule no. 51 2004 on sea water quality standard by the Ministry of Environment - Indonesia, it states that the threshold of Cu level in marine biota is at 0.008 mg L-1. The presence of Cu pollution in milkfish needs an attention related to the ability of fish to accumulate metals from the environment. Interestingly, Cu in fish was between 1.165-3.396 mg L-1; bellow the threshold permitted by BPOM No. 03725/B/SK/VII/89 1989 amounted to 20 mg L-1. People must be aware of the presence of this metal in fish since it could be harmful for human's health.

Lakes developing in volcano craters can become highly acidic through the influx of volcanic gases, yielding one of the chemically most extreme natural environments on earth. The Kawah Ijen crater lake in East Java (Indonesia) has a pH < 0.3. It is the source of the extremely acidic and metal-polluted river Banyupahit (45 km). The lake has a significant impact on the river ecosystem as well as on a densely populated area downstream, where agricultural fields are irrigated with water with a pH between 2.5 and 3.5. The chemistry of the river water seemed to have changed over the past decade and the negative effect in the irrigation area increased. A multidisciplinary approach was used to investigate the altered situation and to get insight in the water chemistry and the hydrological processes influencing these alterations. Moreover, a first investigation of the effects of the low pH on ecosystem health and human health was performed. Water samples were taken at different sites along the river and in the irrigation area. Sampling for macroinvertebrates was performed at the same sites. Samples of soil and crop were taken in the irrigation area. All samples were analysed for metals (using ICP-AES) and other elements, and concentrations were compared to local and international standards. The river carries a very high load of SO4, NH4, PO4, Cl, F, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Al and other potentially toxic elements. Precipitation and discharge data over the period of 1980-2000 clearly show that the precipitation on the Ijen plateau influences water chemistry of the downstream river. Metal concentrations in the river water exceed the concentrations mentioned in Indonesian and international quality guidelines, even in the downstream river and the irrigation area. Some metal concentrations are extremely high, especially iron (up to 1,600 mg/l) and aluminium (up to 3,000 mg/l). The food-webs in the acidic parts of the river are highly underdeveloped. No invertebrates were present in the extremely acidic water and, at pH 2.3, only chironomids were found. This also holds true for the river water with pH 3.3 in the downstream area. Agricultural soils in the irrigation area have a pH of 3.9 compared to a pH of 7.0 for soils irrigated with neutral water. Decreased yields of cultivated crops are probably caused by the use of Al containing acidic irrigation water. Increased levels of metals (especially Cd, Co, Ni and Mn) are found in different foodstuffs, but still remain within acceptable ranges. Considering local residents' diets, Cd levels may lead to an increased risk for the human health. Fluoride exposure is of highest concern, with levels in drinking water exceeding guideline values and a lot of local residents suffering from dental fluorosis. CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND OUTLOOK: In short, our data indicate that the Ijen crater lake presents a serious threat to the environment as well as human health and agricultural production.