Chromium Accumulation by Avicennia alba Growing at Ecotourism Mangrove Forest in Surabaya, Indonesia

Abstract

The Ecotourism Mangrove Forest at Wonorejo in East Coast Surabaya area is one of large mangrove forest inside in the metropolitan city in Indonesia. There are many ecological values of mangrove forest in most tropical countries such as marine fisheries, wildlife habitat, improving coastal water quality, and endangered mangrove coastlines and human development. The role of mangrove to improving coastal water quality can be showed through mangroves maintain coastal water quality by abiotic and biotic retention, removal, and cycling of nutrients, pollutants, and particulate matter from land-based sources. One of inorganic pollutant that can be removed by mangrove is heavy metal such as chromium (Cr). Wonorejo River is one of the rivers that receive disposal of wastewater in Surabaya East Coast area. Many wastewater from industries and households were released to this river. The concentration of Cr at the Wonorejo Estuary reached 0.0325 mg/L and 2.7761 mg/L in sediments. The aim of this research was to determine the potency of Cr accumulation by Avicennia alba that was grown for ten years at Wonorejo Ecotourism Mangrove Forest. Sampling activities were conducted using a transect quadrat sampling method with a 10x10 m dimension. Sediment and mangrove root samples were extracted before being analysed using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results showed that the Cr accumulation by roots of A. alba reached 25.4 ± 1.6 to 55.3 ± 1.1. The BCF value in A. alba were 0.32 ± 0.01 to 0.83 ± 0.5 with the concentration Cr in sediment were 60 ± 1.4 to 79.3 ± 1.1. A. alba showed potential as a moderate accumulator for Cr. In conclusion, A. alba can be considered for use in phyto-monitoring and phytoremediation of Cr in coastal areas.

Keywords

• avicennia alba
• bcf
• coastal area
• chromium
• mangrove forest
• root
• sediment