Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Polymesoda erosa in the Batanghari River, Jambi Province

Abstract

The water quality of the Batanghari River in Jambi Province has been categorized as polluted because it contains heavy metal contents, such as Pb, Mn, Cd, and Hg. One of the river biotas that become local people's favorite and can accumulate heavy metals is Polymesoda erosa mussels. This research aimed to investigate and analyze the heavy metals contained in mussels in the Batanghari by using AAS and ICP methods. The results showed that the average content of lead metals (Pb) in Polymesoda erosa in Point A was 5.93 mg/kg while in Point B was 13.5 mg/kg. Mussels with such contents of Pb metal are not safe to consume because the contents exceed the threshold of SNI 7387:2009 with a maximum limit of Pb at 1.5 mg/kg. Meanwhile, the average content of manganese metal (Mn) in Polymesoda erosa in Point A was 89.24 mg/kg, while in Point B was 169.85 mg/kg. These numbers also exceed the standard threshold of manganese metal quality for fish by 20 mg/kg based on the Turkish Guideline. The average concentration of Cd metals and Hg metals in Polymesoda erosa in Point A was 0.04 mg/kg and 0.122 mg/kg, respectively; while in Point B was 0.05 mg/kg and 0.169 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of Cd and Hg metals do not exceed the threshold and are safe to consume. However, since Pb and Mn metals have exceeded the threshold and are not safe to consume, the Polymesoda erosa mussels in the Batanghari are still not safe to consume.