BIOMONITORING OF ATMOSPHERIC HEAVY METAL DEPOSITION USING DICRANUM SCOPARIUM AND LEPTODICTYUM RIPARIUM (CASE STUDY: BANDUNG REGENCY)

• Main Author: Putra Kobong S., Bintang
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik saniter dan perkotaan; teknik perlindungan lingkungan
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/77878
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Heavy metal pollution in the atmosphere can be harmful to human health. Atmospheric heavy metals are mostly from anthropogenic activities. Monitoring atmospheric heavy metal content is an important task. One alternative to monitor heavy metals in the air is by using moss as bioindicators. This method is referred to as biomonitoring. This study aims to determine differences in the accumulation of heavy metal pollutants in the atmosphere based on differences in land use using Dicranum scoparium and Leptodictyum riparium. Three sub-districts were selected for this study, namely Margaasih Sub-district, Dayeuhkolot Sub-district, and Ciparay Sub-district, which represent differences in land use. Moss samples were placed in 5 locations in each sub-district. After a 3-week and 6-week exposure period, the samples were retrieved and analyzed for ten heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) using the ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled PlasmaOptical Emission Spectroscopy) method. The results showed that each sub-district differed in terms of the concentration of heavy metals accumulated in the moss samples. Principal component analysis showed that heavy metal groups in each subdistrict represented different sources. It was also found that not only land use, but meteorological factors such as wind direction and speed as well as precipitation are also likely to influence the accumulation of heavy metals in moss. The results also showed that Dicranum scoparium and Leptodictyum riparium have different abilities to accumulate certain heavy metals due to their different biological features.