Chromium content in fish and rice and its effect on public health along the downstream Opak River, Bantul District, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract. Rahardjo D, Djumanto, Prasetyaningsih A, Laoli B, Manusiwa WS. 2021. Chromium content in fish and rice and its effect on public health along the downstream Opak River, Bantul District, Indonesia. Intl J Bonorowo Wetlands 11: 69-74. The activities of the leather home industry are overgrowing, causing the liquid waste flowing into the river also to increase so that the threat to the river ecosystem and river water users also increases. This study aimed to determine the concentration of chromium in environmental components, agricultural commodities, fisheries, and the risk to public health. Sampling was carried out from February to August 2020 in irrigation canals and rice fields using the Opak River flow. The number of sampling locations is determined at six stations. At each station, samples of water, sediment samples, and fish, and samples of rice were collected. All samples were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). The results showed that chromium metal is found in solid or mineral compounds with other elements. The highest concentration was found in rice plants with an average of 1.0105-6.2870 mg/kg, followed by rice fields (1.2062 mg/kg), river sediments (0.7126), fish (0.3799-0.8489), irrigation water (0.2393 mg/L), and the lowest were found in river water (0.0188 mg/L). The Tolerable Maximum Intake of chromium in tilapia meat was 3.0271 kg/week, and Spotted barb meat was 1.3546 kg/week. The daily intake of chromium in rice ranged from 18.475 to 28.733 (mg/kg BW/day). Hazard quotient (HQ) level of consumption of chromium-contaminated rice ranged from 4.618-7.183. The HQ value at all research sites exceeds the safe value for health set by World Health Organization (WHO), namely HQ<1.