2019 Volume 10 Issue 2 Pages 119-125
Utilization of mercury in artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has become a global concern. A large amount of mercury is discharged into the environment and accumulated in the food chain. Paddy roots absorb mercury in the paddy field soil and accumulated in the rice grain during the ripening period. Consumption of Hg-contaminated rice leads to increase the burden of health problems, particularly in rice consumer countries. This study was aimed to evaluate mercury contamination level in the paddy field around ASGM area in Lebaksitu village, Indonesia. We collected soil, water, and rice paddy samples in three paddy field areas divided by distance to the Hg hotspot. The total mercury was determined using Mercury Analyzer MA-3000(NIC). An elevated mercury concentration was detected in soil (212 – 2465 µg/kg), water (0.008 – 0.927 µg/kg), and rice (27.38 – 219.88 µg/kg) in all paddy field sampling sites. The THg concentration tended to decrease along with the increase in distance with an order: PS1>PS2>PS3. The THg concentration in the paddy field soil exceeded the U.S.EPA standard for ecological soil screening (100 µg/kg) and the Indonesian standard for agricultural soil (500 µg/kg). Our study revealed that the paddy field in Lebaksitu Village had been contaminated by mercury wastewater distributed primarily from ASGM activities. The significant correlation of THg in rice and soil indicated that soil was the primary source of mercury in rice. Contamination of mercury in rice leads to increase the income of health impact among people who consume the rice as the staple food.
