Assessment of Ecological and Target Hazard Risks of Mercury Contaminated Water Along Makassar Coastal Areas, Indonesia

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The coastal area of Makassar city is a vulnerable area to various pollutants, most of which are generated by anthropogenic activities, such as home industry products, gold shop waste products, and household waste, starting from the coastal area in Barombong to the coastal villages in the Ujung Tanah subdistrict, with the highest level of mercury (Hg) concentration in the coastal area. Another source of potential Hg pollution in this area can be due to community activities at the fish landing base (PPI, Paotere). AIMS: The aims of this research were to analyze the Hg content in surface water collected from coastal areas of Makassar City and to analyze the target hazard risk effect due to the excessive exposure of water from the recognized as ecologically contaminated area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research applied an observational analytic design of cross-sectional studies. Direct measurement and laboratory sample analyses were conducted as well as a questionnaire was applied to obtain relevant, precise, and accurate data. Respondents’ characteristics related to education, habit, lifestyle, occupational smoking habits, and dietary were requested by the administered household interview questionnaire. Assay of the laboratory to analyze the magnitude of Hg in surface water was conducted. Respondents with volunteered based selected using stratified random sampling methods. RESULTS: Results of the analysis of Hg distribution in surface water used kriging interpolation method showed that the highest concentration of Hg was in stations (22 and 23) around Area of Anjungan Losari Beach and Area of Anjungan Mandar Losari with 1.0013 and 1.0012 mg/l, respectively. While the lowest were in station 2 with 0.0011 and in station 26 Pelindo Jetti area with 0.0013 mg/l, respectively. Ecological Risk assessment indicated that the areas with the highest risk of ecology were such as Near Dermaga Kayu Bangkoa with 9.8, the Tourism area of Karaeng Batjo Tomb 9.7, and Tanjung Bayang beach with risk ecology 9.1 units, respectively. Furthermore, the magnitude of Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values were 0.0093 in station 1 in Tourism area of Karaeng Batjo Tomb and 0.0089 units in station 24 of Port of Sukarno Hatta, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, Hg levels of contamination in water are still be tolerated in the current; however, its accumulate that potentially harmful in the near future. Ecological risk value was more than one that indicates at risks, although the THQ values are still below than the one that indicates safe.