Evaluation of the Total Mercury Weight Exposure Distribution Using Tree Bark Analysis in an Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Area, North Gorontalo Regency, Gorontalo Province, Indonesia

Hendra Prasetia, Masayuki Sakakibara, Koichiro Sera and Jamie Stuart Laird
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Hendra Prasetia: Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
Masayuki Sakakibara: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan
Koichiro Sera: Cyclotron Research Center, Iwate Medical University, Tomegamori 348-58 Tomegamori, Takizawa 020-0173, Japan
Jamie Stuart Laird: School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: It is well known that atmospheric mercury (Hg) contaminates air, water, soil, and living organisms, including trees. Therefore, tree bark can be used for the environmental assessment of atmospheric contamination because it absorbs heavy metals. This study aimed to establish a new biomonitoring for the assessment of atmospheric Hg pollution. Reporting on atmospheric Hg contamination in an artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) area in North Gorontalo, Indonesia, we calculated the total weight of Hg (THg) and quantitatively measured the concentrations of Hg in the tree bark of Mangifera indica , Syzygium aromaticum, Terminalia catappa, and Lansium domesticum . The THg of Hg in the M. indica tree bark samples ranged from not detected (ND) to 74.6 μg dry weight (DW) per sample. The total Hg in the tree bark of S. aromaticum, T. catappa, and L. domesticum ranged from ND to 156.8, ND to 180, and ND to 63.4 μg DW, respectively. We concluded that topography significantly influences the accumulation of Hg together with local weather conditions. A mapped distribution of the THg suggested that the distribution of THg in the tree bark was not affected by the distance to the amalgamation site. Therefore, tree bark can be used as biomonitoring of atmospheric Hg contamination for the assessment of ASGM areas.

Keywords: atmospheric; mercury; ASGM; amalgamation; accumulation; tree bark (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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