Mapping Atmospheric Mercury in Lampung Province, Indonesia Using Bark of Multipurpose Tree Species

The use of mercury in gold refining causes air pollution and results in the contamination of multipurpose tree species (MPTS). Tree bark has properties that cause it to store mercury for quite a long time. The purpose of this study was to determine mercury contamination of MPTS and map the mercury c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Atmosphere 2022-01, Vol.13 (1), p.2
Main Authors: Rendra, Tedy, Riniarti, Melya, Yuwono, Slamet Budi, Prasetia, Hendra, Widiastuti, Endang Linirin, Bakri, Samsul, Taufiq, Azhary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absorption spectroscopy
Air pollution
Analytical methods
Atmosphere
Atmospheric composition
Atmospheric mercury
Atomic absorption spectroscopy
Bark
Bioindicators
Contamination
Distance
Dry weight
Environmental impact
environmental pollution
Food contamination & poisoning
Fruits
Gold
Indicator organisms
Indicator species
Interpolation
Mercury
Mercury (metal)
MPTS plants
Plant species
Purification
Roughness
Sampling
Scanning electron microscopy
Spectral analysis
Spectroscopy
Test methods
tree bark
Trees
Variables
Water purification
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Summary:The use of mercury in gold refining causes air pollution and results in the contamination of multipurpose tree species (MPTS). Tree bark has properties that cause it to store mercury for quite a long time. The purpose of this study was to determine mercury contamination of MPTS and map the mercury contamination distribution in the atmosphere using tree barks as bioindicators. Sampling was performed using purposive sampling. The mercury concentration was obtained by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the highest THg contents were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The analysis was carried out by gauging total mercury (THg), distance, elevation to THg, and interpolation of THg at the research site. The results showed that there were 10 types of MPTS trees whose bark could accumulate mercury. The bark of the Tamarindus indica tree stored the greatest amount of THg (74.4 µg dry weight (DW)), followed by Persea americana (58.7 µg DW), and Annona muricata (44.2 µg DW), respectively. This result was influenced by the roughness of the bark and the location of the plants. No correlation was found between distance and elevation to THg on tree bark. The mercury interpolation in the atmosphere showed that mercury moves from the purification point to the southeast of the purification location.
ISSN:2073-4433
2073-4433
DOI:10.3390/atmos13010002