Effective removal of mercury (Hg) from sediment by acid extraction

Abstract

Mercury (Hg) is a hazardous and toxic substance that is resistant to decomposition and can accumulate in sediment and enter the living organisms via food chain. Due to the status of level mercury in Indonesia has reached the warning level, the action should be taken to avoid any negative impact on the environment and human health. The purpose of this study to developed a simple, fast, and effective sediment washing method for Hg removal using acid extraction. The results showed that pollution level of sediment in Ciujung watershed and its tributaries was high, especially the pollution of Hg and Cd, according to geoaccumulation index (I geo) and potential ecological risk index (PERI). By the proposed method, Hg-contaminated sediment can be extracted within 21 minutes with 99.5% of extraction rate. CRM ERM CC580 (estuarine sediment) was used for validating the results. The optimal conditions such as vortex time, acid concentration, sonication time were evaluated according to analytical parameters. The method is valuable for designing a remediation protocol for sediment washing in developing countries.