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seminar which took place in the FMIPA courtroom (19/02) presented

speakers in the field of chemistry, including Prof. Dr. Liliasari, M.Pd., (UPI)
and Prof. Dr. Sri Juana Santosa, M.Eng., (UGM).

This seminar discussed the use of virtual laboratories which turned out
to have a big role in the green chemistry program. Virtual laboratory is a

computational laboratory designed so that students are able to do practical
work, even if not directly. This use is intended to minimize errors in the

laboratory in terms of the use of chemicals as well as the results of practicum

or research. It is also able to save materials when practicum by minimizing
the experiments carried out.

Green chemistry is defined as an attempt to design chemical processes
and chemical products produced to reduce or eliminate the use and

generation of hazardous substances. Hazards here can be physical
explosion, flammable, toxicological-mutagenic, carcinogenic, including

global climate change, ozone layer depletion, other environmental

pollution, and chemical exposure. The effects of harmful substances on the
environment, water, air, food, agriculture, climate change and many more

dangers in every corner of the environment make us more alert to focus
more and practice greener concepts.

This definition and concept of Green Chemistry was first formulated
in the early 1990s. Since then, hundreds of government programs and

initiatives on Green Chemistry have been created around the world with

early flagship programs located in the United States, United Kingdom, and
Italy. The initial program in question was the awarding of the Green

Chemistry Award from the President of the United States which began in
1995, followed by the establishment of the Green Chemistry Institute in

1997, and the publication of the first volume of the Royal Society of
Chemistry Journal of Green Chemistry in 1999.