Depok, August 9th 2023. Prof. Dr. Dra. Noverita Dian Takarina, M.Sc., was appointed as Professor in the field of Ecophysiology of Marine Biota, Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) Universitas Indonesia (UI) at the Convention Hall, UI Depok Campus, this morning (Wednesday, 9/ 8). In her inauguration, she delivered a scientific oration entitled “Diversification and Downstreaming of Heavy Metals Research for Sustainable Management of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems”. UI Rector, Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D., led the inauguration ceremony directly and it was broadcasted virtually via the Universitas Indonesia YouTube channel and UI TV.
Prof. Noverita conveyed that Indonesia’s tropical coastal waters and ecosystems are currently threatened by pressures related to anthropogenic activities (human activities), such as agriculture, mining, fisheries, and settlements. As a single ecosystem, the coast and the sea are influenced by various environmental variables and the surrounding ecosystem. One of these variables is the input of waste from land (land-based) and from the sea (sea-based) which contain heavy metals.
Based on their benefits for living things, heavy metals are grouped into essential and non-essential metals. Heavy metals have properties that are difficult to degrade, thus they can be distributed in dissolved, suspended, and deposited forms at the bottom of water (sediment). The heavy metal content in sediment tends to be higher than in water and aquatic biota. If these compounds accumulate in the body of biota, they can cause organ and tissue dysfunction.
Seeing this complex situation, Prof. Noverita said that national level heavy metal research must undergo diversification and downstreaming. Heavy metal research must be able to be downstreamed into products as an effort to mitigate heavy metals. In her presentation, the downstream presented was adsorbent innovation in the form of Zeolite Embedded Sheet (ZES) and estimation of the optimal performance of this adsorbent through Random Forest modeling.
To deal with this, heavy metal data analysis requires a breakthrough. As a follow-up, data analysis in heavy metals research in the future will utilize artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence has been used to determine the effect of each variable that affects the efficiency of ZES in absorbing heavy metals in water. By using one of the artificial intelligence modules, namely Random Forest, it can be known with certainty at what heavy metal concentration ZES works optimally. Apart from that, it can also be known at what pH and water temperature ZES can work optimally.
Given the variety of environmental challenges, according to SDGs 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDGs 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and especially SDGs 14 (Life Below Water), applicable research is needed to address challenges regarding heavy metals and other wastes in national waters. In line with the SDGs proclaimed, the research carried out by Prof. Noverita has covered some of these goals.
“As a habitat for aquatic biota, I emphasize once again that the presence of heavy metal contaminants can affect biota and consumers who eat these biota. Risk assessment allows determining minimum intake amounts so that the threat of heavy metals can be reduced. By developing research through diversification and downstreaming, it is hoped that it can help determine mitigation steps,” said Prof. Noverita.
At the inauguration procession, also present the General Chair of the ID Forum, Prof. Bambang P. S. Brodjonegoro, S.E., M.U.P., Ph.D; President Director of PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Nandi Julianto; Vice President Director of PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Bob Azam; Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Advisory Board Muhammad Edhie Purnawan, S.E., M.A., Ph.D.; and Professor at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) Prof. Joko Santoso.
Prof. Noverita completed her undergraduate education at the Faculty of Biology, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in 1989. Then, she earned her master’s degree in 1996 at the Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In 2014, she successfully completed her doctoral education at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Department of Marine Science and Technology, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB).
This year, Prof. Noverita has published various scientific papers, including the title Machine learning using random forest to model heavy metals removal efficiency using a zeolite-embedded sheet in water; Land use variation impacts on trace elements in the tissues and health risks of a commercial fish; Modeling the tropical fish community related to land uses and environmental determinants; and Potential risks of heavy metals in green mussels (Perna viridis) harvested from Cilincing and Kamal Muara, Jakarta Bay, Indonesia to human health.
