Heavy metal lead (Pb) accumulation in trembesi leaves (Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.) on Dr. J. Leimena and Jenderal Sudirman Street, Ambon (Case study : Pandemic period)

Abstract

Heavy metal air pollutant Lead (Pb) is produced from incomplete combustion of the vehicle engine. Metal Pb that pollutes the air comes in two forms, namely in the form of gases and particles. As soon as motorized vehicles emit heavy metals including lead. This lead remains in the air for 4 - 40 days, so this causes the particles to be dispersed by wind to reach a distance of 100-1000 km from the source. Lead is used in gasoline for vehicles, paints and pesticides. Pb contamination can occur in air, water, as well as land. Pb pollution is a main problem, soil and dust around the highway generally contaminated with leaded gasoline for years. The aim of the research is to find out heavy metal lead (Pb) accumulation in Trembesi leaves (Samanea saman (Jacq.) Merr.) on Dr. J. Leimena and Jenderal Sudirman Street, Ambon during the COVID-19 pandemic period. These two streets are the most crowded and congested in the city but during the pandemic the number of commuting motor vehicles sees a major and drastic decline. The research is descriptive quantitative. Trembesi leave samples were taken in different vehicle density spot in three locations on Dr. J. Leimena and Jenderal Sudirman Street. Ten trembesi leaves that are on the bottom part and not exposed to vehicle emissions are collected in each of the location. Humidity and temperature are measured. The samples are taken into the Laboratory for further research analysis. The steps of the research include: Trembesi leaves sample and standard Pb solution preparation, and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) method to determine the concentration. The results show that Pb concentration found in trembesi leaves on Dr. J. Leimena Street is 0.0013 mg/L and around 0.0003 – 0.0016 mg/L on Jenderal Sudirman Street. The Heavy metal lead (Pb) concentration found in both location is still below SNI 7387-2009. Despite the low number, it should not be ignored as Pb is accumulative.