Indonesia is a country with the largest tobacco production in the world. unfortunately according to the Research and Development Agency Study, each year there also more than 230,000 deaths due to consumption of tobacco products.
It is undeniable that the biggest tobacco product is cigarettes. Indonesia ranks third with the highest number of smokers after China and India according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Indonesia also occupies the first position of most smokers in ASEAN, with a percentage of 46.16%.
Cigarette is one of those factor for those high risk diseases (such as lung cancer), compared to other factors. Not only for the one who smoke, but also for the people around them.
The irony is that cigarettes are also a major contributor to the state cash revenues. Faced with these facts, three students of Faculty of Engineering want to suppress the harmful factors found in cigarettes.
They are Monifa Arini, Nino Dimasta Putra, and Dary Rafi Brafianto. The three students made sterilization and degassing of cigarette smoke using Chemical Steam Sterilization from Sansevieria sp. extract.
Monifa as the team leader explained that the team implemented several methods to process the extract of the Sansevieria to bind gases or toxic substances in the air.
The Degassing method is a method used to bind gases or harmful substances so as not to pollute the surrounding environment, especially those invisible particles.
The Sansevieria extract tested was in the form of a cooled solution so that it needed another method, The Chemical Steam Sterilization, this method could convert this extract into steam.
Furthermore, the team also designed tools that can be used in public places such as smoking areas, and others.
“The design of this tool is similar to a diffuser,” said Monifa.
This tool works automatically. If it is applied in a closed room, for example, in the house, the steam from Sansevieria extract will bind the harmful particles contained in the smoke.
If this device is mass produced, she added, it is hoped that it can minimize the impact of cigarette smoke which is undeniably very difficult to prevent.
With the guidance of Supriyono, S.T., M.T., the team will compete in the 2020 National Student Scientific Week (PIMNAS) held by DIKTI in November. (MA/mic)
