Heavy metals concentration in sediment of Makassar Strait

Abstract

The concentration of heavy metals (HMs) camium (Cd), cuprum (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in sediments of Makassar Strait was investigated. We collected sediment samples from 28 research stations. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to measure HMs in all samples. This research aims to know the levels of HMs' contamination and pollution in sediments. The analysis revealed that the concentration of all HMs is still low and inlined with the sediment standard guidelines, exception of Cu and Ni. In regards to the value of I_geo and PLI, sediment in the Makassar Strait is still normal for marine life, and sediment is included in unpolluted categories (PLI<1). The sources of HMs in this strait come from human activities in the land of Kalimantan and Sulawesi Island.