Cindy Patricia Yosika, a student of the Occupational Health and Safety (K3) Study Program, Faculty of Public Health (FKM), Universitas Indonesia (UI), has won the Travel Grant Award to attend the 13th Asian Aerosol Conference (AAC) which will be held on November 3–7, 2024, at the Borneo Convention Center Kuching (BCCK), Sarawak, Malaysia.
This Travel Grant Award is specifically intended for Postgraduate students under the age of 36 as of 7 November 2024, or young professionals who have completed a master’s or doctoral degree in the last five years. This grant is in the form of financial support for delegates from developing countries to participate in AAC 2024.
The conference, organized by the Asian Aerosol Research Assembly (AARA), is a meeting place for researchers, lecturers, practitioners, and academics from various countries to share research results on aerosols, aerosol technology, and their impacts on health. Cindy’s success is proof that FKM UI undergraduate students are able to compete internationally and get valuable opportunities to develop insights in the fields of environmental health and aerosol technology.
Cindy, who was initially focused on compiling a thesis framework under the guidance and support of Prof. Doni Hikmat Ramdhan, SKM., M.K.K.K., Ph.D., then firmly decided to register for the abstract selection when she received information about this conference. She realized that this activity could broaden her horizons and provide valuable experience in the world of research. “Alhamdulillah, I was selected to give an oral presentation and also received a travel grant, which of course is a great motivation for me to continue moving forward,” said Cindy.
On that occasion, she raised a research titled “Effectiveness of HEPA Filters and N95 Mask Filters in Reducing PM 2.5 at Motor Vehicle Testing Sites.” This research focuses on the effectiveness of air filtration in environments that are susceptible to exposure to small particles.
Aerosols are scattered in high quantities due to vehicle emission tests, especially at motor vehicle testing sites. “If aerosols are left without filtration, hazardous particles will continue to circulate in the room, posing potential health risks,” said Cindy.
Furthermore, in her research, she used a fan combined with a filter to evaluate the level of effectiveness in reducing hazardous air particles. The results of her research showed that the combination of developed filter devices had an effectiveness almost equivalent to commercial water, which is a potential solution at a lower cost.
This effectiveness depends on several environmental factors, such as air temperature, humidity, and others. Without additional filter devices, aerosol particles tend to be trapped and continue to circulate in the room, which can increase the risk of exposure. In addition, adjustments to working hours, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the use of fans combined with filters provide additional contributions in efforts to reduce aerosol concentrations. Although the air purifier still shows optimal performance, the difference in effectiveness with this combination of devices is quite small, so the use of this combination of filters can be an effective alternative.
In the processing stage, Cindy faced various challenges, one of which was designing a filtration device independently. She said that the main focus of the K3 study was more on analysis and evaluation. However, she dared to go further by designing her filtration device for her research. This challenge was successfully overcome thanks to the support of the K3 FKM UI facilities, guidance from competent lecturers, and support from colleagues in the laboratory.
Then, she also shared time management strategies for completing academic assignments while preparing for international conferences. “The main key is to complete academic assignments well. After that, I could compile the material for the conference more easily because it was still in line with the research I was doing,” said Cindy.
For her, attending this conference is a valuable opportunity to broaden her horizons and build relationships with academics from various scientific backgrounds. Cindy emphasized that this event is not only about scientific presentations, but also a place to enrich oneself with new perspectives and trigger innovation in the field of environmental health.
“My biggest expectation is to expand my network, gain new insights, and foster curiosity. Interacting with people who are experienced in this field motivates me to continue learning and developing. Although there are challenges, such as the lack of research related to aerosol filtration, this is an opportunity to create new, useful solutions,” said Cindy.
