UPI Produce Disinfectant to Fulfill Community Needs Affected by COVID-19

The Coronavirus pandemic becomes worrisome these days. Thus the solidarity between all elements of the community is a must to overcome this. UPI formed a Task Force team to help to tackle this by concentrating on making innovations needed by society. One of the innovations is producing disinfectants and hand sanitizers. The purpose of making this disinfectant is to help to provide this to UPI COVID-19 volunteer teams, given the availability of these products on the market is very rare. Even if it is available, the price is expensive, according to Fitri Khoerunnisa, Ph.D., who is a lecturer at the Department of Chemical Education FPMIPA.

The production of the disinfectant was made in Chemistry Education Department’s laboratory. The production process is carried out by several chemistry lecturers, educational laboratory staff and also assisted by the chemistry student association. The production funds are the funds collected from voluntary donors from UPI Siaga COVID-19 which used to purchase raw materials. “My friends and I in the lab help in processing and producing,” said the doctorate who graduated from Chiba Japan University.

The ingredients for the disinfectant are hypochlorite compound and water, while the ingredients for hand sanitizer are alcohol, glycerin, niacinamide, hydrogen peroxide, and water. The distribution process was executed by the volunteer team to hospitals, mosques, markets, and those who need it around the campus. Hopefully, the devotion of these volunteers can become a pious charity and become an example and inspire other parties, especially for the UPI academic community. (HS)