HEAVY METAL RESIDUE ON WATER, BIOTA AND SEDIMENT IN NEGARA RIVER

Abstract

Community activities around the Sungai Negara area will increase the burden of pollutant substances entering the waters. One type of pollutant is heavy metals that will settle at the bottom of the water (sediment), and of course have polluted the water and the biota that live in it. One of the problems that occur is the continued impact of heavy metal pollution in these waters. However, it is not yet known whether the heavy metal residues were found in water, sediment, or fish meat. The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of heavy metals Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr, Fe, Cu and Zn. The method used is a purposive sampling survey method and descriptive method. Heavy metal analysis using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) method. The results showed that the content of heavy metals in the water in samples 1 to 3 that did not meet the required quality standards were dissolved Fe, dissolved Cu and Hg. The heavy metal content that exceeds the SNI standard in fish is Cd and Pb, and in sediment is Zn and Pb. The existence of community activities and blacksmiths causes high levels of dissolved Hg and Fe in the water. The high levels of Cu in the waters, Zn and Pb in the sediments are caused by oil palm plantation activities in upstream waters. Meanwhile, the high levels of Cd and Pb in fish meat have become an early warning for the safety of food products sourced from the waters of the Sungai Negara.

Keywords

• heavy metals
• sediment
• biota
• negara river