Heavy Metal Distributions in the Carbonate Reef Environment of Tin-Rich Island: Surface Sediment Based Study
Ayu Utami Nurhidayati (1), Dwi Amanda Utami (1), Sri Yudawati Cahyarini (1)

(1) Paleoclimate and Paleoenvironment Research Group, Research Center for Climate and Atmosphere, Research Organization for Earth Science and Marime, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Komplek BRIN Gd. 70-80, Jl Sangkuriang, Bandung, Indonesia 40135

Abstract

Belitung Island known as one of the tin producer in the world, as it lied in the South East Asian tin belt. The study was conducted in the North Belitung Island to investigate the heavy metal concentrations of sediment in the carbonate reef environment system. Thirteen sediment samples were collected from mixing zone riverbed, shoreline, and offshore of North Belitung. The concentrations of heavy metals were analyzed to assess the environmental pollution characteristics by using flame AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry) method. The result indicated that the average concentrations of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and cadmium (Cd) were 0.016 - 0.080, 0.029 - 0.097, and 0.008-0.022 ppm, respectively. The calculation of geo-accumulation index (Igeo) was adopted in this study to evaluate the heavy metal pollution. The correlation between the heavy metal distribution and their potential influencing factor also discussed in this research. The Igeo values revealed that this research area has been unpolluted to moderately polluted by Cr and Cu, and unpolluted by Cd. Based on the contamination level to adverse biological effect, the heavy metals concentration in this research area has the lowest potential to adverse biological effect. However, this information is important to evaluate the heavy metals control in the carbonate reef environment affected by mining activity.

Keywords: Heavy metals, surface sediment, reef carbonate, tin mining, AAS

Topic: Interdisciplinary Geosciences