Study on the level of mercury pollution in sea water around TanjungBayang Beach, Kota Makassar

Abstract

Increasing heavy metals in seawater will cause heavy metals that were originally needed for metabolic processes will turn out to be toxic to organisms in the sea. Besides being toxic, heavy metals will also accumulate in biota and sediment through the gravity process. This research was conducted around TanjungBayang Beach in Makassar City in January 2017. Sampling was carried out at 3 stations and 9 points. This research is to measure physical and chemical parameters in sea water, heavy metal content of Hg in water, sediment, and marine biota. These results are then analyzed by the method of bio concentration of mercury metal in marine biota. The results of this study indicate that mercury content in sea water is <0,0005 mg / l on average. This sea water level is still low from the KEPMENLH 51 Threshold Value of 2004. Mercury levels in sediments are between 0.0156-0.0217 mg / kg, fish 0.0501-0.0796 mg / kg, and sea slugs 0.0516-0.2068 mg / kg. The levels of mercury in sediments and marine biota are still below the threshold value. The ability of fish and sea snails to accumulate heavy metal mercury (Hg) is indicated by the value of bio concentration factors (FBo-w) which are between 100.2-413.6 and (FBo-s) between 2.308-13.256.