Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Environmental Health, Politeknik Kesehatan Kementerian Kesehatan Padang, Padang 25146, Indonesia
2
Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Mulawarman
3
Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Tadulako
4
Department of Nursing, Politeknik Karya Husada, 16424, Jakarta
5
Department of Furniture Production Engineering, Politeknik Industri Furnitur dan Pengolahan Kayu, 51371, Kendal Regency
6
Doctoral Program in Management, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Malang 65144
7
Research Associate, Coastal Cities At Risk in the Philippines, Ateneo De Manila University, 1108, Quezon City
8
Department of Hospital Administration, STIKES Adi Husada
10.22059/poll.2026.411546.3299
Abstract
Urban waste management through landfills remains an environmental and public health challenge in developing countries, as the biological degradation and physicochemical reactions within them produce complex gas emissions, including potentially hazardous non-methane organic compounds. Chlorinated volatile organic compounds such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, and ethylidene dichloride have high persistence and significant toxicological profiles, posing a risk to vulnerable populations such as waste takers who are exposed to landfill gases during long working hours. This study used a quantitative cross-sectional design based on Environmental Health Risk Assessment to assess inhalation exposure in 101 waste takers at the Sarimukti landfill in West Java. Pollutant concentrations were estimated using the Landfill Gas Emissions Model based on waste generation data from 2006 to 2021, then converted to mg/m³ and used to calculate inhalation intake and hazard quotient. The results showed that 1,1-dichloroethane had the highest concentration (9.72 mg/m³) and the largest intake (1,090 mg/kg/day), followed by 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. All hazard quotient values were below 1.0, indicating that the individual non-carcinogenic risk was still within safe limits. However, chronic exposure, long working hours, and exposure to a mixture of landfill gas pollutants still have the potential to increase cumulative health risks. These findings confirm that an intake-based approach is more representative in assessing occupational risks and support the need for continuous monitoring and integrated risk management strategies to protect the health of waste takers in landfill environments
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