MEASUREMENT ANALYSIS OF MERCURY LEVELS IN RICE, SEDIMENT, AND HAIR AROUND ARTISANAL AND SMALLSCALE GOLD MINING (ASGM) ACTIVITIES (Case Study: Kasepuhan Adat Cisitu, Cibeber Sub-District, Lebak Regency, Banten Province)

• Main Author: Aprianne, Delicia
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik saniter dan perkotaan; teknik perlindungan lingkungan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/35772
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Kasepuhan Adat Cisitu is one of the villages that has Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) activities using mercury for amalgamation process done by most of the villagers. The use of mercury in ASGM’s gold extraction is one of the biggest emission source done by human or man-made. Therefore, in this research, measurement analysis of mercury in rice, sediments, and human hair around the ASGM’s activities and also the risk analysis based on the rice consumption and risk characterization based on exposure level are done in order to know the association between the ASGM’s activities and the mercury contamination in rice, sediments, and its accumulation in hair at Kasepuhan Adat Cisitu. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry with GF-AAS AA-280 and CV-AAS MA-2000- Japan are used to measure Hg concentration. The result of Hg measurement in rice are between the range from 12.5 up to 1,186 ?g/kg with the average Hg concentration in rice samples with skin (hull) is 258 ?g/kg±271.77 and for the rice samples without skin (hull) is 161.76 ?g/kg±329.78. The result of Hg measurement in sediments are between the range from 2,393.75 up to 106,962.5 ?g/kg with the average Hg concentration 22,076.56 ?g/kg±35,059.85. the result of Hg concentration in hair ranged from 0.49 up to 25.35 mg/kg with the average 5,38±4,56 mg/kg. Based on the quality standard value for allowable Hg concentration, there are some of the rice samples that is below and also above the allowable value. On the other hand, all of the sediment samples are above the quality standard value for allowable Hg concentration in sediment. The health risk analysis is based on the result of daily mercury exposure prediction from rice consumption compared to the maximum acceptable daily exposure value set by US EPA which is 0.1 ?g/kg body weight per day. The exposure prediction value for the villagers of Kasepuhan Adat Cisitu is 0.07 ?g/kg body weight per day and still under the maximum acceptable daily exposure value for mercury by US EPA. Descriptive and epidemiology analysis in hair samples shown that there is an association between Hg concentration in hair and occupation and age factor. There is a relation between the existence of ASGM in Kasepuhan Adat Cisitu and the mercury level in rice, sediments, and its accumulation in the hair of the people.