Abstract
Buyat Bay (BB), North Sulawesi, Indonesia, was a submarine tailings disposal (STD) site for an industrial gold mine that extracted mercury (Hg)-containing ores from 1996 to 2004. To evaluate the distribution and influence of such a Hg release into the environment, particularly into BB, we quantified the total mercury (THg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) in the surface sediments (beach, river estuary, and marine) and biota of the bay, as well as the scalp hair of residents in the adjacent community. A nearby body of water, Totok Bay, polluted by Hg from artisanal gold mining, and a reference area of the Bajo Coast (Bajo) free of any anthropogenic sources of Hg were also sampled. Both THg and MeHg were detected in all samples measured showed concentrations to be highest at the artisanal mining site, intermediate at the STD site and at their lowest in the control area. THg and MeHg concentrations in marine biota and human hair increased with trophic levels and were significantly higher at the STD site than among the controls. Besides examining the source and distribution of Hg, its accumulation in biota, and its potential impact on humans, we also studied the role of the mine management so as to provide a recommendation for future actions.
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