Comparative study of mineral element content in fishes from the south and north seas of java island using neutron activation analysis

Abstract

Fish is an environmental bioindicator and a contributor to the daily intake of mineral elements. The content of mineral elements in fish is influenced by what it eats and its environment. Moreover, based on location, around the north coast of Java there are denser residential and industrial areas compared to around the south coast of Java. In this study, we analyzed the mineral content of fish of the same species originating from the southern and northern seas of Java using neutron activation analysis. Fish samples of the same 11 species were each collected from fish auctions in Pemalang and Garut districts. The samples were washed, and then the meat was taken and dried by the freeze-drying method. The samples were irradiated in the G.A. Siwabessy multi-purpose reactor through the rabbit system then counted using gamma spectrometry. The results obtained as many as 17 mineral elements in fish: Na, K, Mg, Cl, Ca, Br, Fe, Zn, Sr, Al, Cr, Se, Rb, Mn, Co, Hg, and Cs. Statistical test results show that there are various differences (positive covariance on 14 elements, negative covariance on 3 elements) for each element between fish from the South Java Sea and North Sea, which indicates that marine environmental conditions have contributed significantly to changes in mineral content on fish.