Chilling Effects: Assessing Chlorine Levels in Hawker-Served Crystal Ice Cubes in Banjarbaru City

Abstract

Cold drinks served will be served along with ice cubes, one of which is crystal ice cubes. In making ice cubes must have the same quality requirements as drinking water. The provision of water quality that is suitable for drinking needs to be examined. As for drinking water quality requirements according to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Number 2 of 2023 concerning drinking water quality requirements, the presence of free chlorine compounds in the allowed network distribution is 0.2-0.5 mg/l. Chlorine serves to inhibit growth and eradicate bacteria from various types of microbes, but if chlorine exceeds quality standards and reacts with water it can form hypochlorous acid which can damage cells in the body and can cause digestive disorders because it can make the stomach wall erosion and cause ulcer disease and if used in the long term can cause kidney disease and cancer. This research aims to analyze chlorine levels and crystal ice cubes of hawker sellers in Banjarbaru City and the factors that influence it. The results of the study explained that from 28 samples of crystal ice cubes, only 2 (7%) samples of crystal ice cubes met the standards, while the other 26 samples (93%) had chlorine levels above the maximum limit of 0.5 mg / L. While the behavior of ice cube sellers in washing hands before taking ice cubes only 11 people (39%), 17 other beverage sellers (61%) did not wash their hands before taking ice cubes.